Loyalty
by Loopstagirl
Summary: He never had to swear loyalty to the prince. Instead, Leon swore to the man, vowing to be by his side no matter what.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.**

**This one is for Jammeke! You are my constant source of support everywhere, I can't tell you how much it means! And I know you love the Arthur/Leon bond as much as I do...**

"But Father…"

"Don't whine at me. I gave our word that we were going and that is what we are going to do. Unless you want me to break my word?" Leon scowled and looked in the opposite direction. He didn't want to have to ride all of the way to Camelot again. It was rare for his father to be home, the man's duties as a knight keeping him in the Citadel. He had tried to move his whole family there, but his mother had fallen sick. Everyone had agreed it was better for her out in their country estate and so she had retired, taking their son with them. Leon hadn't complained, he hadn't liked the city either. It was too busy.

But as time had gone by, he had begun to resent how often his father was away. Times when he was home meant a lot to the ten year old. Only this time, the man had been home for long enough to tell Leon to pack his travelling bag and be at the stables after lunch. Leon didn't understand why his mother looked so tearful when he had moved towards the stables.

His father had been quick to enlighten him. Leon was at the age where he could be chosen for a squire. He knew that he was already good with a sword, having a knight as a father meant he had been receiving instruction since the man had caught him playing with a wooden stick when he was only three. But Leon knew it was more than that. He knew they weren't the stereotypical family for nobles, both his mother and father had pressed on him the need to care for others, especially those lower than themselves. Although he wasn't sure of the details, he knew that being chosen as a squire would be the first step towards securing his future as a knight.

It was all Leon had ever wanted, so he dutifully mounted his horse and followed his father out of the estate. On the journey, his father had gone on to explain there was more to it than that. A new prince had been born, the kingdom now had an heir. But it had come out a cost, and now Camelot was entering a time of hardship. Leon had panicked, thinking it meant they were at war and his father was going to be sent away to die somewhere for a king Leon had never met. The knight was quick to reassure him that was not the case, but pressed home how it was more important now than ever that they made a good impression on the king.

Leon had mulled it over, still not quite understanding where he came into all of this. At the back of his mind, he knew he might not be going home again. Why else would his father be explaining about squires now? They had had this talk years ago, as soon as Leon had been old enough to understand what one was. His mother's tears, his father's talks… Leon knew there was something else going on. It seemed as if there was something he wasn't being told.

It was only when they made camp for the night that he found out. Leon had almost fallen from his horse by the time his father announced they were to stop for the night, barely able to keep his eyes open. He hadn't complained, hadn't said anything as he had practically slithered from his horse. His father's arm around his back had steadied him and father and son had set about securing themselves for the night. Leon had once asked why they didn't take servants with them the way he knew other nobles did. His father had just told him that anything he could do for himself, he should.

But wrapped in a blanket, his feet stretched out towards the fire and feeling pleasantly full up, Leon became aware that his father was watching him closely.

"Sir?"

"You must be wondering why I was so insistent that you came with me, son?" Leon nodded, not trusting his voice. He wanted to prove that he was old enough to handle whatever it was that his father had waited until now to tell him. He wasn't sure if he was excited or nervous, but he didn't want his voice to give him away either way.

"Leon, you are part of a next generation. A symbol of what is to come. I've already told you that tough times are ahead, and I don't know how bad things will get. I don't know how long the bloodshed will last for, or the things I will have to do in the name of my king."

"I know, Father. A knight must do as his liege commands." Even over the firelight, Leon could make out the man's gentle smile as Leon recited what he had been taught.

"It's more than that this time. The king needs friends now more than ever, Leon. He needs to know who he can trust."

"I don't understand."

"When we get to Camelot, son, we will be taken before the king. He will ask us to swear allegiance to the new prince." Leon frowned, knowing this wasn't all. His father was building up to something, something bigger.

"I don't want you to do that. I want you to swear allegiance to Arthur."

"But I thought… Isn't that the prince's name, Father?"

"Yes, Leon." The knight sat further forward, looking his son in the eye. Leon knew this was something serious, so he leant forward, eyes gleaming.

"I want you to swear yourself to the man, Leon. Not the title, not the role he will fulfil, but the man he will become. I don't know the cost of the events that have begun to unfold. I don't even know if Arthur will remain a prince, there have been rumours… But I want you to swear, both here to me now and in front of the king, that you will stand by Arthur no matter what happens. Whether he is royalty or a farmer, you will be by his side."

"I'll be his friend?" The seriousness instantly melted from his father's face as he reached around the fire to ruffle Leon's curls.

"Yes, my boy. You have to swear to always be his friend."

"What if he is really mean?" Leon chewed his lip in worry. How could he swear to be the boy's friend when he didn't even know if he liked him yet? A maid at their home had just had a baby herself, and all the little girl did was cry and have everyone fussing over her. Leon excused her, Gwen was a girl. But what if the prince was like that?

"Then you will be like a brother to him. Brothers stick by each other no matter what, they never betray each other. But they also tell each other when they are being mean. With you to look up to, how could he be anything other than charming?"

Leon went scarlet, visible even in the dim light as his father chuckled and told him to get some sleep. It was only when the man's snores filled the air did Leon finally allow sleep to claim him. He had made up his mind; he would be a brother to this prince. Not only because his father wanted him to, but because he didn't think it was right for a prince to be mean. He would just have to teach him how to be nice himself.

MM

By the time they reached Camelot the following afternoon, Leon was exhausted. He hadn't slept well, not used to being out in the open despite his father's presence reassuring him that all would be well. He also wasn't used to spending so long in the saddle and the young boy was practically biting his lip to stop his discomfort showing on his face. Still, all of that seemed to vanish when he finally got a look at the castle and he felt his jaw drop.

"My Lord! You made good speed, the king wasn't expecting you for a few hours. Your chambers are ready, Sire."

Leon blinked, startled when he saw there was a groom holding the reins of his horse, another one on his father's horse and a bowing servant addressing his father.

"Thank you, James. Leon, down you get, son." It came as no surprise that his father knew the servant by name and Leon knew the warmth in the servant's eyes was genuine. He knew how loved his father was at home and it came as no surprise it was the same here. Leon stiffly swung one leg over the saddle, but let out a muffled cry as he dropped, his legs cramped from being in the same position for too long. He didn't hit the floor there, for there was a strong hand instantly on his back, carefully guiding him down. His wide eyes didn't process how his father had moved so quickly, but the man squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"Walking will help," he murmured softly, taking Leon's hand and beginning to lead him into the castle after flipping a coin to each of the grooms. Leon simply clung on and let his father guide him, his head craning around as he tried to look at everything at once.

"Is this where you live, Father?"

"My home is with you and your mother, you know that. But this is where I have chambers, yes." Leon stumbled slightly as he realised he had slowed down and his father had continued to walk on. He trotted forward to fall in step with the man again, but continued to gape. However, the further into the castle they got, the more he realised something was wrong. He might have not known much about court yet, but he knew the arrival of an heir was something to be celebrated. But the closer into the main part of the castle they got, the quieter it was. There was a gloom settling over the people and no one seemed to make eye contact with one another.

"Papa?" For the first time in years, Leon found his grown up attitude was disappearing as he pressed himself closer to his father, tightening his grip on the man's hand.

"It's alright, Leon." The fact the man didn't go any further than that meant Leon knew it was far from alright. His father was a practical man. He explained away Leon's fears through explaining the logic behind them. It was obvious from the tremble in Leon's voice that he was afraid of this strange atmosphere, but the man said nothing more. Leon assumed that he would say more when they reached their chambers, but he never got the chance to find out. Before his father had taken another step, a door to their left opened.

His father's grip immediately tightened and Leon found himself gasping under the contact. At least, part of it was because of the contact, the other part was the haunted appearance of the man in front of him. He knew that having a month old son can't have been easy (Gwen _never_ stayed quiet!) but if it hadn't been for the crown on his head, he would have had no idea that this was the fearsome king of Camelot. He looked like a shell of a man, like someone who had been in one too many thoughts. Leon tried to look at his father, but the man had sunk into a bow. The pressure on Leon's shoulder increased and he found he was bowing as well.

"Your Highness."

"My friend. Is this your son, Gregory?" Leon felt the pressure on his shoulder lessen slightly and took that as his cue to straighten up a little.

"It is, Sire. Leon, this is the king." For a moment, Leon only gaped. His father had never told him that he was going to have to say anything to the king himself! His mind scrambled helplessly through his lessons in an attempt to think of the right thing to say, but he was stopped by a hand taking his chin. He only just covered up a squawk of surprise, his father's reassuring grip stopping him from automatically pulling away from the king's touch. The man tilted his head to one side, then to the other. He eventually let go and ruffled Leon's curls, but it didn't feel right. It wasn't the loving caress from his mother and it wasn't a gesture of pride from his father. It felt cold, almost as if the man didn't know how to express his emotions.

"You must be proud of him. He is a fine boy."

"I am. Thank you, Sire."

"Have you presented him to the knights yet?"

"Not yet, Your Highness. I intend to this visit though, Sir Hector's squire was sent away in disgrace, he is looking for a new boy. I thought…"

"Yes, he looks as if he will be tall. Hector will need that, especially on the jousts." Leon found that he was shrinking back against his father as the two men discussed his future. He had never guessed that he would feel a tendril of fear working its way into his body and settling down in his chest now the day had almost arrived. Then again, it wasn't as if he had the chance to think about it. This time the day before, he had been playing in the stream and only pretending to listen to his tutor.

"Gregory, about the…other matter…" As soon as he caught the tone of voice, Leon obediently stopped listening. He knew that it meant they were discussing something that no one should overhear and weren't thinking about the fact that he was there. Remembering what his father had said about things taking a turn for the worst in the kingdom now that the prince had been born, Leon decided he really didn't want to know. If things were too bad, he was just going to go home.

He thought it would be easy to distract himself, there were plenty of interesting objects in his eye-line. But Leon found all of his attention was focused on one thing. A cry of a baby. Keeping hold of his father's hand, he twisted his head around to try and see into the room just as a maid came running forward.

"Please, Sire, you must keep the door shut, he'll catch a chill." The maid didn't look like she wanted to be addressing the king, and judging by the look on Uther's face, he wasn't happy. But Leon paid little attention to the adults. His ears were focused on that one cry. He didn't know how, but he knew the maid was wrong. The baby wouldn't catch a chill. Before his thought could go any further, the maid muttered something about stoking up the fire and made to close the door.

"No!"

"Leon!" His father's reprimand was quick and firm, but Leon tugged on his father's hand.

"Please, Father! Don't let her stoke up the fire!"

"Gregory, what is wrong with your boy?"

"I don't know, Sire. Leon, what are you doing?" Leon rolled his eyes and yanked his hand free. Without even considering the courtesy needed before leaving a king's presence, he darted into the room. The maid let out a small shriek and her hand rose, snagging the back of his collar. Leon was yanked to a stop, coughing.

"Get your hands off my son." His father's voice was deadly and quiet and Leon instantly felt the pressure disappearing. He wriggled free, ran to where an elaborate crib was resting and stood on tiptoes, peering in. A small face looked up at him, the baby blinking as his cries still. Balancing carefully, Leon pushed a hand in and loosened the blankets.

"Leon, what are you doing? You heard the young lady, he'll catch a chill."

"No, he won't, Papa, he's too warm."

"Leon…"

"Leave the boy be, Gregory." Leon looked up at the king with wide eyes as the man came to stand next to him. He made to pull back, but found that something had snagged his finger. Looking back into the crib revealed the baby clinging on, his whole hand wrapped around Leon's finger. It was only then that he noticed he had stopped crying.

"He likes you."

In response, the baby let out a soft gurgle, his mouth turning up in a smile.

"But… But, Sire…I supposed…Father said I had to be friends with the prince." When Uther smiled down at him this time, Leon realised the warmth that had been lacking before was now present. His hand also entered the crib, resting lightly on the infant's chest and causing the baby to let out another gurgle, blowing a bubble as he did so. Leon screwed up his face.

"Eww. That's yuck," he told the baby sternly and received a blink back in surprise. His own father let out a gentle laugh, moving forward as his hand rested on Leon's shoulder. Leon was vaguely aware of him murmuring the story the night before about Leon's worry the prince would be mean. Leon thought he would get into trouble, but Uther laughed.

"I don't think your son really needs to take the vow, does he?"

"I have to! I s'pposed to be meeting the prince!"

"No, Leon. You're supposed to be meeting Arthur. And you just have."

"Oh."

Blinking, Leon looked down into the crib. The baby's eyes were fluttering shut and Leon realised he wasn't as flushed as before now that he was cooling down. But as he fell asleep, still clutching Leon's finger, the young boy understood.

Arthur was the prince. He had just told a maid she was making the prince too warm and told said prince that blowing bubbles wasn't nice.

Suddenly, he understood what his father had meant about being by his side no matter what. As the king and his father began conversing again, Leon watched the sleeping baby intently.

"It's alright. I'll be your friend. Forever. Promise."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the kind words of support, I'm so thrilled you have been enjoying this so far. Hope that everyone likes part two, and don't forget to let me know! x**

"Wanna see!"

Leon looked down to where there was a small hand tugging on his breeches. A pair of big blue eyes was looking up at him, strands of blond hair almost falling into them. It was the pout on the two year old's face that had him smiling however, and he obligingly knelt until he was at Arthur's level. The young prince moved his grip onto Leon's arm in order to steady himself as he peered forward, his brow crumpled in confusion. He looked at the object, then back at Leon, clearly not understanding.

"It's my father's crest," Leon explained patiently, turning over the seal in his hands. It felt heavy, a constant burden and he wondered how his father carried it around with him all of the time. He had seen the man sealing letters with it just the night before and upon seeing his son watching, the knight had pressed it into Leon's hands, telling him that he could keep it for a day. One day, he had told his son, it would be Leon's responsibility to carry it around all the time. The twelve year old had been awe struck and solemnly promised he wouldn't let the man down.

They had been here for two years now and Leon found Camelot felt more like home than he ever thought it could have. After his initial meeting with the prince, his chance as a squire had been delayed after Uther instructed he wanted Leon as part of Arthur's life. The mornings were spent with the child and his nurses and the afternoons were spent in lessons. Uther had claimed that he wanted to make sure the tutors he had selected for his son were appropriate and could do their job well, but Leon didn't care the reasoning behind it. He knew that if Arthur hadn't have smiled at him that first day, then there was no way he would be receiving an education literally fit for a king.

"Oh." Arthur stretched out a hand, running it over the seal and giggling at the rough feeling under his fingers. Once he had examined it enough for his satisfaction, the prince put the end of his sleeve in his mouth and turned a beseechingly look on Leon.

"P'ay now?" He muttered around the fabric. Leon made to stand up again, but then realised Arthur was still holding onto him as a way of balancing himself. He gently navigated himself until he could put the seal back in his pocket and tugged the sleeve out of Arthur's mouth.

"You know your father doesn't like you doing that." He attempted to sound stern in the way he had heard the nurses reprimand Arthur, but he knew he didn't even come close. But the fact Arthur immediately dropped his hand and bit his lip – knowing he had done something wrong – made Leon feel like it was worth it. He took the prince's hand and straightened up.

"What do you want to play?"

"Sol'ers!" Arthur practically yelled, slipping his hand from Leon's and running to the other side of the room. He wrestled with the lid of a chest for a moment, but didn't seem to notice when his friend simply lifted it for him. Diving in, he quickly pulled out two wooden swords that were almost as big as he was and thrust one into Leon's hand.

"Again, Arthur?" Leon tried to keep the moan out of his voice. This was the only thing that Arthur seemed to want to do ever since he had been taken down to the training grounds just the week before. Arthur nodded seriously.

"I be a sol'er!"

"No, you won't."

"Will!" Arthur glared at Leon as if the older boy had said something highly offensive and clutched his sword to his chest.

"No, you'll be a knight."

"Oh. Knight not sol'er?"

"No, Arthur." Sitting down cross legged, Leon had to hide a grin as the toddler immediately copied him, a rapt look of attention on his face. His nurses could never get Arthur to sit still, not even to get him dressed in the morning. But somehow, the little boy always did as Leon told him too; even if he voiced the fact he didn't like it. Leon knew that he was not the only one to have noticed and was aware that while Arthur continued to behave for him, he would be allowed to spend these mornings with the prince. Initially, Leon had been hurt that he had to give up being a squire in order to look after a baby who had several people already fussing over him. But looking at him now, hanging onto Leon's every word; he knew that he had found a much better option.

He managed to keep Arthur distracted by his words for a good hour or so. The prince had slowly relinquished the tight grip on his sword, crawling around until he could rest against Leon. One hand was on the boy's knee and his whole body was leaning against Leon's side. Leon knew there was a smile on his face, but he kept his words flowing. Despite the relaxed posture of the child, Leon truly believed that Arthur was listening to what he was saying. At the back of his mind, he tried to tell himself to find out more about the knights that afternoon from his own tutor, maybe even from his father. It wouldn't have been the first time they had altered his education to coincide with whatever Arthur had taken an interest in that week.

When there came a soft knock on the door, Leon looked up, confused. Arthur also straightened up, but Leon rested his hand on Arthur's back, keeping him relaxed. He was sure his time wasn't up yet, they still had a few more hours to kill. A maid had been in the corner for the whole time, ignored by the two boys but there to hand if the prince should need anything. She too shot them a puzzled glance as she stood and moved across to the door.

"Sire!" As the maid dipped into a deep curtsey, Leon knew who was at the door. He tried to climb to his feet, but Arthur had managed to position himself so that Leon couldn't move without Arthur's say so.

"Arthur, let me up."

Arthur shook his head, a sparkle in his eye as he grinned mischievously. Leon wasn't fooled. Arthur knew full well that it was his father at the door and by forcing Leon to stay sitting, he was making sure that Uther came to them. And if the king made it into the room and towards his son, that would be the closest contact Arthur had had with him for a while. Leon found himself blinking, wondering when the two year old had figured out how to manipulate his own father so successfully.

"My Lord." Knowing he couldn't ignore Uther, Leon dipped his head as the king strode into the room. Hooking his hands under Arthur's shoulders, he attempted to prise the boy off from his leg but Arthur clung on.

"I not bein' sol'er," he announced to his father, crawling further across Leon's lap in order to talk to the king. Uther came to a stop, standing over them and Leon swallowed nervously. The man had an impressive build and Leon suddenly felt very small down on the floor. Luckily, with Arthur now across his lap, it was more than obvious why Leon hadn't risen the second the door opened.

"No?" Leon had never been able to figure out the king around Arthur. He barely saw his son, but when he did, he was like a different man. He crouched down and Arthur continued crawling across Leon until he reached Uther's outstretched hands, falling into them.

"I be a knight."

"Of that there is no doubt, son. Boy, go to your lessons."

"Yes, Sire." Leon swiftly rose to his feet, but Arthur twisted in his father's grip, once again grabbing hold of Leon's trousers.

"He mine," he said quietly, yet his eyes were burning with indignation. Arthur too had clearly realised that there time together wasn't finished for the day and didn't want to let Leon go. Leon had to fight to keep the fond smile off his face.

"No, Arthur. He has to go to his lessons now. There is someone here to see you."

"But…" The pout was back on Arthur's face and Leon bent down. He forced himself to ignore the fact that it was the king holding the boy and brushed his hand over Arthur's hair.

"I'll see you tomorrow, right? You be a good boy."

"'kay," Arthur murmured doubtfully, but let Leon go. Leon swiftly bowed and practically ran from the room before Arthur got any more ideas. He had to hand it to the prince, he had certainly inherited his father's stubbornness.

Word had obviously been sent to his teacher, for the man was waiting for him when Leon knocked on his door, despite the fact that he was early. Leon entered, gave a short bow and slipped into his seat. But his attention was distracted, wanting to know who it was who had come to visit Arthur. It had been common in the first few months of the prince's life, dignitaries from all over coming to pay their respects to the new heir. But this was almost two years later, who would be coming now that Uther was making such a big deal out of it?

"It is his uncle. His mother's brother." The man's voice cut through Leon's musings and the boy flushed apologetically at being caught out. He was normal attentive, it came as no surprise his tutor had instantly been able to pick up on the fact his mind was elsewhere.

"Why now?"

"The rumour is that he couldn't bear coming back to Camelot. Aggravaine is a proud man in the same way that Uther is. He blames the king for the loss of his sister and only saw Arthur as Uther's son, the son that killed her. It appears time away has changed his mind and he now wishes to meet his nephew."

"And the king will allow that?" Leon didn't realise that he was sitting up straighter. But there was something about this that left him with an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach and the urge to get back to the young prince.

"He is doing more than that. As a show of good faith, he is going to give them time alone. I think he wants to make amends and allow Arthur to have an uncle in his life. He knows he cannot always be there for the prince, so having another blood relation…" The man trailed off, clearly not wanting to hurt Leon's feelings by saying that he would never be good enough alone for Arthur. But Leon wasn't thinking along those lines, he was trying to work out why he was feeling so uncomfortable.

"Leon?"

It was only the sharper note to the man's voice that made Leon realise he had stood up, kicking his chair back so hard that it fell over.

"I feel a little unwell, may I be excused?" Leon said respectfully. In a way, it was the truth. His heart was pounding hard and his head was reeling a little. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Arthur and was already beginning to stride from the room even before permission had been granted.

He didn't turn towards his own rooms, but straight back towards Arthur's. The king was a suspicious man, how could he be leaving the absent uncle alone with Arthur like that? Leon knew why, knew it was the man's attempts to do the best thing for his son, but something wasn't right. The closer he got to Arthur's rooms, the faster Leon was moving until he broke into a run. For the first time ever, the guards on the door barred his entrance.

"The prince is in a private session with his uncle, no one may enter."

"Get out of the way!"

"Leon?" Leon spun, his heart thumping loudly. A wave of relief shot through him at seeing his father standing there, despite the fact the man looked puzzled. "What are you doing, you know better than this."

"Something is wrong, Father." Leon implored the man to believe him, not looking away as his father looked into his eyes.

"Stand aside, men. I will answer for it if we are wrong." The guards looked at each other nervously, but they couldn't refuse a knight. They slowly stepped aside and Leon tore the door open. Instantly, he could hear Arthur crying.

"Down! Want down!"

Leon knew that cry, although he had never heard it be shouted with such distress. He ran through the room as fast as he could.

"Arthur!"

"Stop, in the name of the king!" His father was on his heels, his hand flying Leon's shoulder and pulling him to a stop. A man – Leon could only assume it was Aggravaine – had a squirming Arthur around the middle, holding the boy against him. He was halfway out of the servant's entrance, the maid cowering in one corner. He paused at their arrival and Arthur kicked his legs helplessly.

"Down!" He yelled again and Leon suddenly found himself grateful that the prince could be so loud when he wanted to. The guards heard the cry, one of them sounded the alarm before both came thundering into the room. Arthur's eyes went wide at so many drawn swords in his room and he gave a small hiccup.

"Put the prince down, Sire." Leon watched as his father stepped forward.

"He isn't the prince, he is my nephew. Can't you see how much like his mother he looks? He will not be Uther's son!"

"He is the king's son and heir, and you will put him down right now." Leon found that he was following his father forward, his eyes locked on Arthur's squirming form. The prince looked up and saw his friend, stretching out his arms towards him.

"Le'n…" He sobbed, twisting again. Aggravaine blinked, seeming to properly see Arthur's tears for the first time. His face clouded over.

"Leon, move forward!" Leon didn't hesitate but instead leapt forward at his father's command. The knight also lunged, at the same time Aggravaine simply let go of Arthur. The child screamed, but Leon already had his hands around his waist before Arthur had so much as slipped. He immediately hitched him into a more secure position, holding Arthur against his hip and backing away as the guards also moved forward. Arthur's arms wrapped around his neck and he hiccupped again, hiding his face in Leon's shoulder. Realising that he wasn't able to hold him like that for long, Leon sat himself down on the floor, resting Arthur in his lap and continuing to hug him.

"It's alright, I've got you." He murmured reassuringly, watching with wide eyes at the fight happening in front of him. Aggravaine made short work of pushing the guards back and took off through the small door. Leon's father glanced at them both before taking off after him.

"Father!" Arthur whined at Leon's shout, but the twelve year old found himself worrying for the man. It was only because Arthur had refused to let up in his grip that stopped Leon from trying to run after them. The doors burst open again and the king strode into the room.

"What is going on?!" He thundered and Leon felt Arthur flinch at the loud voice. The guards managed to untangle themselves from each other, took one look at the king's furious expression and sprinted out through the small door after Aggravaine as well. Uther yet again crouched in front of the two children, but this time, Arthur continued to cling onto Leon, not acknowledging his father at all. Uther looked like he wanted to try and force his son to come to him, but eventually just sighed. Leon wasn't paying any attention, his eyes were locked on the open door, wondering if his father was going to be alright. It was only when a hand landed on his shoulder did he realise the king had been watching him.

"More knights are on their way." The king stood up again, clearly wanting to see for himself that Aggravaine was caught. Leon mutely nodded, no longer being sure if he was comforting Arthur or whether the prince's presence was what was keeping him calm. Uther strode from the room, but the two boys simply stayed sitting on the floor. Arthur wriggled around until he was in a more comfortable position, but began to drift off to sleep after some time.

Leon had no idea how long he was sitting there for, staring aimlessly at the door with the hope that his father was going to appear again. When a hand brushed through his hair over an hour later, he jumped and turned.

"Father!"

"Hush, don't wake the prince." There was a smile on the man's face though and he gently reached out and picked Arthur up. Leon scrambled to his feet as the man placed the prince in his bed, but as soon as his hands were free, Leon threw himself into his father's arms.

"I thought you were gone."

"You think you can get rid of me that easily? Aggravaine fled the city before we could catch him. Patrols have gone out, but I think Uther is satisfied enough as long as he never returns. You did well today, my boy. You acted on instinct and saved the prince. You'll be a fine knight one day." Leon flushed at his father's praise, finally stepping back from him and feeling a little self-conscious of how he had reacted.

"Come on, let's go and find some lunch." Realising he was allowed off his lessons for the rest of the afternoon, Leon grinned and slipped his hand into his father's, content that the guards would do their job this time and keep his prince safe.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much once again for the gorgeous reviews, they really mean a lot.**

"Sir Bors approached me today about you."

Leon's head shot up from where he had been eating, glancing at his father and swallowing nervously. Why he was nervous, he had no idea. He knew full well that he hadn't done anything wrong, he never did. He knew that his father was relying on him to make him proud and Leon would never do anything that didn't help him aim towards that goal. He had attended his lessons, he had done his work…

"Don't look so troubled, boy." There was a friendly laugh in the man's voice and Leon forced himself to relax, grinning ruefully. He didn't know why he was worried, he knew it would take a great deal for his father to ever be angry with him. But he had just turned fourteen and was beginning to be frustrated with the fact he was still stuck inside with tutors while every other boy his age was out training to be a knight. He knew why, and knew that it was a great honour to be allowed the education that the prince was only just beginning on, but Leon couldn't help but wonder if he was ever going to be allowed to train.

"He wants to take you on his as his squire." Leon had no idea if his thoughts had shown in his face or whether his father just knew what had been troubling his son ever since his last birthday, but Leon's head shot up fast.

"But… the king…"

"The King has agreed. You have certainly proven that, with the right student, the tutors that have been selected will teach the prince everything he needs to know." Leon had to smile slightly at that. Arthur was just beginning to have his lessons, but his friend knew that they were having trouble getting the four year old to sit still for long enough to pay any attention.

"Bors' nephew was squiring for him, but suffered a fall, hurt his leg and has gone back to the country. Bors has been watching your progress for a while and wants someone he can hold a conversation with as well as someone who knows what they are doing. What do you say, son? Ready to be a knight?"

Leon didn't trust his voice so simply nodded, his eyes shining. This was what he had been dreaming off since they had left their home four years ago. While he wouldn't have changed his journey to this moment for anything – there weren't many people who could say they had an adoring prince as their shadow - he knew that he was more than ready to finally take his place out on the field like everyone else. Not to mention it would stop the other boys teasing him about the fact he had never been chosen as a squire, despite it had been because of the king's command.

"Good. I'll inform him in the morning and you start next week. Word has been sent to your tutors to make sure you are ready."

"Yes, Sir," Leon murmured, staring at his plate of food but finding that he wasn't hungry. Already, excitement was beginning to bubble up in the pit of his stomach and he was fighting to keep the smile off his face. A hand reached across the table and squeezed his arm gently.

"You must eat, son." Leon nodded, but knew his father could sense the excitement radiating from his son. Leon had just picked up a piece of bread when there came an odd scuffling sound from outside the door. He glanced at his father, who simply frowned in confusion and got to his feet. Leon didn't let it escape his attention the man had picked up his sword as he moved towards the door. The sound continued and Leon felt his frown deepen as he realised it sounded like someone was struggling to open the door. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Leon groaned. Why did he get the feeling he knew who was the other side of the door?

His father paused by the door, readying his grip on his sword before yanking it open forcibly. Arthur almost fell over his own feet from where he had been straining against the door with all of his strength and then found it opening. He wobbled for a moment but then looked up and caught sight of Leon. Instantly, a grin shot across his face.

"Found you!" He declared happily, running across the room and climbing up onto one of the chairs. Leon raised his eyebrows at the young boy, seeing by the way Arthur was dressed that he should have been in bed.

"Sire?" Arthur ignored the only adult in the room, instead trying to sit further up on the chair but pouting when he realised that he couldn't see over the table.

"Arthur, what are you doing here?" Leon said sternly, feeling himself blush as Arthur's smile faded. He never thought the day would come when someone would listen to him over his father and he couldn't help but feel touched by it. He wasn't sure how his father would react so pointedly stared at the prince instead of looking around.

"Finding you," Arthur said hesitantly, his lower lip beginning to tremble as he stared up at Leon. "Leon not want to be found?"

"I think you should be in bed, shouldn't you, young man?" Arthur's arm rose to his mouth and he began chewing on the end of his sleeve as the knight walked across the room. Leon noticed that Arthur responded if he was treated just like any other child, but tended to ignore the adult in question if they addressed him as the prince.

"But don't want to," Arthur whined, looking up with big eyes. Leon once again found himself stifling a grin as his father stopped, standing over Arthur with his hands on his hips. Leon knew himself that no one could refuse him when the man looked like that and Arthur seemed to slump, knowing his adventure was at an end.

"Come on, let's take you back." Leon slid from his seat as his father took Arthur's hand, helping the boy down and walking him back towards the door. Arthur whined again, but stretched out his other hand towards Leon, making it perfectly clear the only way he was going to go back without a fuss was if Leon came too. Leon glanced towards his father, who nodded in permission and took Arthur's hand. One sharp tug later allowed Arthur to slip his hand free from the man's grip and instead just clung onto his friend. Gregory rolled his eyes but seemed to know that he had no choice in the matter, not if they wanted to get Arthur back without him kicking up a fuss.

Arthur seemed to accept that his wanderings had come to an end and stayed quiet as they moved back towards his chambers. He kept the end of his sleeve in his mouth and his hand gripping onto Leon's, seeming to be concentrating on keeping up with the strides of the older people. Arthur stayed quiet as they walked along, only once dissolving into giggles as they passed one of the old tapestries and he ran his fingers along it. As soon as he was done, the sleeve was back in his mouth but he was beginning to relax.

They reached Arthur's chambers without incident and Leon held Arthur back as his father went in first. He knew the man was just being cautious, but Arthur had managed to get past everyone looking after him for the night without a single alarm being raised.

It came as no surprise when everything was peaceful, despite the fact the maid was slumbering in the corner even though it was early in the evening and therefore the time Arthur was most likely to kick up a fuss. Leon walked the prince across the room and helped him climb into the bed. Leon found himself swallowing hard at just how small Arthur seemed to look in it. Leon had thought that his bed was big, but he knew it wasn't _this_ big even though he was ten years older. Arthur looked almost lost in it and Leon found he was brushing his fingers through Arthur's hair.

"Well done, you found me. You have to go to sleep now, right?" Arthur finally took his sleeve from his mouth but looked up at Leon with beseeching eyes. Before Leon could say anything, his father had taken him by the arm and pulled him back a step.

"Goodnight, Sire." He said formally, beginning to lead Leon from the room. Leon knew he never used Arthur's title or position enough, but he couldn't. Not when it was the baby who had shaped his whole life just by choosing to smile at him that first day. His father had made it out of the door, but Leon was still in the room when he heard a whine behind him. By the time he looked around, Arthur had slithered free of the covers and had dropped to the floor again. It was obvious that he was about to come after them and Leon bit his lip, turning to his father. The man simply sighed, moved back into the room and picked Arthur up this time. He put him in the middle of the bed and tucked the covers up around him.

"It's sleep time, Arthur." He said firmly, and Leon didn't know how to react when Arthur's eyes filled with tears as he shook his head. Gregory stepped away and almost immediately, Arthur sat back up again. Both of his hands were resting against the covers as he attempted to push them down again. Leon watched as his father gently but firmly navigated Arthur around until the prince was lying down. He did it with such surety that Leon had to wonder how many times the man had been forced to put him back to bed when he was younger. Arthur's lip trembled violently and he stared over at Leon, a plea in his eyes that he would not yet voice.

"Arthur…"

"Please!" Arthur practically yelled and the maid in the corner shifted but didn't awaken. Leon knew the look on his father's face, knew that he was preparing to report her in the morning and get her changed to someone who would actually notice when the only heir to the throne chose to go for a late night walk when he should have been in bed. But he also knew that now Arthur was saying please, he was truly upset about having to stay here on his own. It took a lot for Arthur to say please, something that seemed to be the bane of Leon's existence during his time with the prince. He knew they couldn't leave now, not without having to practically lock Arthur in to stop him following them. Knowing what the prince was like when it came to getting his own way, Leon wasn't sure that even a locked door would be enough to keep him in bed.

"Father…" Leon couldn't face the look on Arthur's face and he was already moving back across the room as he spoke. He didn't realise that his eyes were just as pleading as the prince's and that his father stood no chance when they both looked at him like that.

"Oh very well," he sighed and Leon needed no further encouragement. He toed off his boots and climbed up on the bed next to Arthur. Instantly, the prince's tears vanished and he smiled happily, albeit it sleepily. Leon only just had time to get his back resting against the pillows before Arthur had slung an arm across his waist and was leaning against the teenager in contentment.

"Um…" Now that he was here, Leon wasn't quite sure what to do. He didn't expect Arthur to have staked his claim so firmly but his father just smiled down at them. He perched on the edge of the bed and looked up at the two boys.

"Do you want a story, Arthur?" He asked gently and Arthur nodded. Leon found himself smiling as his father's voice began to fill the room. It was a story he knew well, one he had demanded night after night when he was Arthur's age. He knew it practically word for word and was sure that he had told the prince the tale himself on more than one occasion. But he didn't think anything would ever be so reassuring as hearing his father tell it, his tone confident yet quiet. It was reassuring, a sign that everything was right with the world and no harm would ever come close if he had anything to say about it.

It didn't take long before Leon could feel Arthur beginning to sag against him. The child had turned until his back was resting against Leon's chest, and Leon didn't quite know when his arm had moved to drape over Arthur's shoulders. Just as it felt right to have his father being the one telling the story, it also felt right to be sitting like this. After all, he had promised to be Arthur's friend forever, and if friends didn't help one another go to sleep, then he didn't know what they were for.

He knew why Arthur was acting like this. There had been more and more reports of bandit attacks in the forests and Leon himself had watched patrol after patrol riding out in order to try and combat the threat. The knights themselves weren't quite enough, regular guards had been going out as well just to make up the numbers. Leon knew full well that some of the guards normally on Arthur's door had also ventured into the forest. Arthur might have been young, but Leon knew that he understood everything that was being discussed over his head. Not only had the guards exchanged tense words about the situation, but Arthur hadn't seen his father in over a week. When matters of the kingdom arose, it was almost as if Uther forgot that he had a son.

Arthur would have been more than aware of the tension that had infiltrated the castle lately. This was supposed to be an exciting time for him. When Leon had started his lessons, he had practically run back to his father at the end of each day to tell him all about it. Arthur had just been taken back to a maid who only looked after him because it was what she was paid to do. Certain that Arthur had fallen asleep, Leon looked up at his father.

"I'll still get to see him when I'm a squire, won't I, Father?"

"A squire's schedule is very busy, Leon…"

"No. I won't do it if I don't get to see Arthur. He needs me, Papa. Just look at him, he needs _me._ Not his guards, not his maids, me." Leon could feel himself tensing and Arthur let out a soft sniffle in his sleep before falling still again. His hand had fisted in Leon's shirt and the boy forced himself to calm down before he woke the prince again. His father was watching him with a small smile.

"If that is what you want, son, then you will make it happen."

"I promised him," Leon whispered, staring down at the top of Arthur's head. "I promised him that I would be his friend forever. I can't leave him now, Father."

Leon looked up at his father to see the man's expression soften in understanding.

"You truly will make a great knight, Leon. You stand by your word, no matter what it takes. I will arrange it to make sure that you still spend time with the prince, don't worry."

"Thank you," Leon whispered. He surprised himself by suddenly yawning, despite it still being early. His father moved up the bed and before Leon could protest that he was too old for such things, had begun telling another story. Knowing that it was directed at him this time meant Leon could feel his body slowly relaxing as his father spoke and his eyes were beginning to flicker.

Gregory continued to speak but slowly peeled Arthur away from Leon. Leon was too sleepy to protest and Arthur was too far gone to know that it was happening. But when the prince was settled with the covers drawn up around him, the man slipped his hands around his son's back and legs, lifting him as if he was no more than Arthur's age rather than being fourteen. Leon was sure that he let out some sort of protest, but his mind was too tired to truly comprehend what was happening. He expected to be put down on the floor again, but found that movement of his father walking sent him into a lull, especially the way the man's words were still echoing in his ears.

He barely noticed as they left Arthur's chambers, but instead continued to doze as his father carried him the whole way back to their chambers and tucked him into bed in a way he hadn't done for years.

"I'm proud of you," the man whispered as he pulled the covers up around his snoozing son. Leon smiled, but yawned and snuggled further into the blankets rather than saying anything.

It was only the next morning when he was staring around helplessly for his boots did he truly realise what had happened the night before had indeed taken place rather than just being a dream. But he could recall his father promising that he would be able to stand by Arthur no matter and he just knew that everything was going to work out alright in the end. After all, his father had given his word and he knew the man never broke his word, no matter what.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this is late and I haven't managed to respond to reviews this time, impromptu hospital trips and real life being a pain (literally!) have some what got in the way.**

"Good, now remember to block on your left, you are leaving yourself too open again." Leon nodded, a frown of concentration on his face as he listened to what Bors was telling him. At sixteen, Leon was just starting to come into his own, his latest growth spurt making him as tall as his master and the constant training allowing him to start building muscles. Bors had been good to him over the last two years and Leon almost bounded out of bed every morning in order to attend on the knight. He knew that some laughed over the fact that Bors was getting on in age these days and didn't have as many active duties as some of the younger knights, but Leon had wiped the smiles off their faces when he defeated all the other squires in a small tournament the masters had held. The look of pride on both Bors and his father's face had made Leon flush.

But right now, he wasn't as engaged with the training as he usually was. Normally, nothing could distract him from what he was doing, he completely focused on what he was doing and thinking about all that Bors was telling him. But he kept stealing glances over to the main gate, kept looking for any sign that the patrol might be returning. A sharp rap on his left hand side made Leon jump and he turned sheepishly back to his master.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, Sire," Leon murmured, still facing the gate even as he spoke. Bors sighed, clearly realising his young charge was not paying any attention. Some of the other knights had this problem constantly, but the man knew this was not like Leon. He couldn't blame the boy though, not this time.

There had been constant unrest in some of the outlying villages, rivalry kingdoms crossing the borders when they shouldn't have been. The first patrol that Uther had sent to investigate the problem had returned several men short and those who had survived were all injured, only the speed of their horses allowing them to get back in time to seek Gaius' aid before it was too late. Even then another two men had been lost.

Needless to say, Uther had been furious. Rather than just a general patrol, he had dispatched some of his best knights, Leon's father along with them. Bors had only stayed behind because he couldn't handle the ride any longer, but it had served to keep Leon's mind off the fact he was returning to empty chambers at the end of the day. Bors seemed to have understood what he was going through and had made sure to exhaust Leon each day so he didn't dwell on the fact he was alone. But the days had turned into weeks and Leon had grown steadily more and more distracted.

A scout had ridden in the day before, and although squires had been banned from the meeting and Leon hadn't been able to get anything out of Bors, he knew it was not good news. They had no idea who had been hurt and who had been killed, but Camelot knew there had been more casualties. Leon had no idea how anyone expected him to be able to concentrate considering he was waiting to find out whether his father was alive or not, but Bors gave him another rap with the sword, this time hard enough to make Leon flinch.

"If you can't train when your mind is on other things, how are you expecting to fight? Do you think your enemies will just stand there and wait for you to focus, or do you think they will use every trick they know in order to make sure your mind is on other things? You will be a knight of Camelot, you will be respected and feared. Common bandits know they won't stand a chance against you and so will seek to undermine you. You are making it too easy." The last sentence was accompanied by hits onto either side, Leon not reacting quickly enough. When Bors made to strike him again, Leon finally lifted his own sword and fought back.

It was the quickest fight they had ever had, even on Leon's first day as Bors' squire. With just one movement, Bors whipped the young man's feet from under him, kicking the sword from Leon's hand and forcing him flat out on the floor, Bors' sword under his chin. Leon glared up at him for a long moment before all the anger drained from his body and he slumped against the ground.

"Sorry, Sire."

"You need to learn how to control your emotions," Bors instructed, nothing but kindness in his voice as he offered his hand to help his squire up. "I know you think I am being harsh. I worry for them as well, they are my friends, they have become my brothers over the years. Do not think you are alone with your worry. But you must channel it, use it to make sure you can stand firm."

Leon allowed himself to be hauled up, listening to what the man was telling him. He knew it made sense and found himself vowing to try harder. He knew that Bors was only helping him, taking it out on the man would get them nowhere. He tightened his grip on his sword, readied himself… and a shout went up that the patrol was returning.

Leon didn't even think about what he was doing. He just threw his sword down and ran. Bors didn't even attempt to call him back, but instead was on his squire's heels, betraying the fact he was just as concerned as Leon. A crowd was already beginning to gather at the gates as people lined the street, and Leon could tell by the instant hush they hadn't expected more men to have been killed. Not being able to get close, or see, Leon clambered up a small wall, balancing on the top and peering out over the crowds.

The injured came back first, helping each other along. Leon knew that Gaius was already preparing for them, his chambers out of bounds to anyone who couldn't help. Leon swallowed hard as he watched them in, a cold feeling of dread beginning to settle in the pit of his stomach as he realised that his father was not among the injured. He would be fine, he had promised to come back after all. Maybe he was just helping someone further back?

Telling himself that was the case, Leon watched with baited breath as the rest of the knights filtered through, stretchers being carried between them as they brought their dead home for the last time. Leon scanned each and every face carefully, then simply told himself that he must have blinked at the wrong moment. He had promised, and his father had always kept his promises up until now. He couldn't break his word; Leon knew that he wouldn't.

But finally, the gates were closing, the people moving silently away. How could they shut the gates when he was still out there, helping someone along so they didn't get left behind? Jumping down from wall, Leon misjudged the height and fell, scuffing up his palms and knees as he hit the ground hard. He didn't notice however, instead speeding towards the gate. Now the crowds had dispersed, Leon was able to force his way through.

"What are you doing?" He ran up to one of the guards on the gate, pulling on the man's arm to get him to open it again. "They aren't all back, you can't shut it! Open it now! Please!"

"Leon." The firm voice behind him made Leon whirl around.

"No…"

Bors was standing there, a travel-worn knight standing next to him and a sympathetic expression on his face. Leon shook his head wildly, moving backwards until the gate was pressing into his back.

"No, he's not…" He barely noticed that he was murmuring, trying to push Bors away from where his mentor was moving closer.

"Leon, you need to listen to me. You need to come inside…" Leon shoved at the man, but his wrists were simply caught and held firmly. He might have been coming into his strength, but Leon wasn't thinking straight about what he was doing and Bors had clearly been expecting this reaction. Everyone knew how close he was to his father.

"I'm so sorry, son. He saved young Gareth, he was a hero…" Leon barely heard the words, he was instead gasping for breath and trying to think through the fog descending on his mind.

"He…he…"

"He's gone, lad. Your father has gone." Leon didn't notice the disapproving look that Bors shot his companion, but he was aware of the man moving closer to him, the grip on his wrists shifting until it was further up his arms, trying to steady him. Leon drew a gasping breath and looked up into his mentor's eyes. Seeing the loss reflected in the man's gaze, reality crashed back down on Leon and he felt his knees giving way.

As everything went black, he was vaguely aware of Bors catching him as he fell.

MMM

The shutting of the door made Leon stop what he was doing, leaning his forehead against the bedpost and breathing heavily. His belongings were strewn everywhere as he tried to work out how much of it he could stuff in the small travelling back he had arrived with all that time ago. Bors had been with him all morning, trying to convince him that his place was in Camelot, that he was going to do well if he stayed here in the city rather than running back to the country. But Leon didn't believe him. What did he have here now that his father was gone?

By the time he had come round again, Bors had got him into his bed, light bandages wrapped around his palms from where his master had cleaned the cuts on his hands. The man had been in a chair next to the bed, but when Leon awoke, he simply rolled to one side and pulled the blanket up over his head. He didn't care that many were beginning to see him as a man now. If he wanted to act as a boy, he would like to see who would try and stop him. Bors had tried to talk to him, but Leon wasn't having any of it. What did his master know about how he was feeling, he knew nothing!

Eventually, the man seemed to realise that Leon wasn't ready to hear his words of counsel and had left, promising to check back in later to make sure his squire had eaten. Leon knew that his father would have been disappointed by how rude he was being, but the fact the man wasn't there to scold him was the problem. Leon would have done anything if it meant getting a reaction, but instead all that greeted him was silence.

He managed to be slightly more courteous when the king stopped by, but Uther clearly didn't know how to react around a heartbroken sixteen year old and had just told Leon the rooms were his to keep if he wanted them. That had got the squire thinking and he knew he didn't want to stay there. How could he when everything that had made these rooms home had gone? Deciding he was going to go back to his mother, even if it had been years, Leon tried to pack.

It was only now that he realised quite how used to his life in Camelot he had become. His father's steady income as an active knight had meant Leon was dressed in clothes that he wouldn't have had back at home, despite being from a noble family. They were designed for city life, with different sets for his training. His country clothes had been nothing in comparison, and Leon couldn't decide what to take.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Leon let his head fall into his hands, his mind going blank. It had only been just over a day since the patrol had returned, Leon knew he didn't have to make a decision about it now. But he didn't want to just mope around here, he knew it wasn't fair. He had to go, he had to make sure Bors could take on another squire and start his training. Thinking about his master mad Leon fall backwards onto the bed with a sigh. The man would be so disappointed that Leon was leaving everything behind, he had been told more than once that he could go all the way if he continued to work hard.

Throwing an arm over his face, Leon didn't hear the door open. He had no idea anyone else was in the room until the bed dipped under another's weight.

"Where you going?" Leon moved his arm to see a six year old staring down at him. One look at Arthur's face told Leon that the prince had been informed of the tragedies that had taken place for he looked more sombre than Leon had ever seen the child.

"Home," Leon responded shortly. He rolled his head to the side so that he didn't have to meet Arthur's wide eyes.

"This your home." Leon forgot that Arthur had never known that his friend hadn't always lived in Camelot. He turned back to explain and found the words stuck in his throat. Arthur looked so sad and Leon knew it was nothing to do with the deaths. He was sad at the idea of losing the one person he followed around everywhere.

"It hasn't always been."

"But it always will," Arthur said seriously, sincerity in his eyes as he clambered further up the bed. He was sitting against the wall, and before Leon knew what was happening, there was a small hand stroking through his hair. It was almost in the same manner that his father had always done and it was only then that he realised Arthur was trying to make soothing noises. The realisation of what the prince was doing made the breath catch in Leon's throat.

Arthur had clearly seen his father soothe Leon like this, and believed that he was helping by trying to make the squire feel better. The innocence of the action just made it hurt even more and before Leon could say anything, there were tears flowing down his cheeks. He tried to turn away, tried to make sure that Arthur couldn't see him crying, but the prince had always been more perceptive than anyone had given him credit for.

"It's 'kay," he mumbled, seeming to forget all the lessons his teachers had been giving him about the way a prince should talk as he tried to comfort his friend. "You'll always have me."

"Arthur, I have to go back home. I have to go back to my mother, she needs me."

"I come too then."

"No, you belong here."

"I go with you." Leon finally pushed Arthur gently away and sat up so that he could face the prince. One look at the stubborn set to Arthur's jaw and he knew the child had every intention of sticking by what he was saying.

"I don't think your father will let you."

"Don't care, I go with you."

"Arthur, I…" realising that he was never going to get through to the six year old like this, Leon changed tact. "What about being a prince?"

"What about being my friend?" Arthur shot back, his voice raising as his own eyes filled with tears. "You're s'pposed to stay here with me, not go running off. Camelot is your home!"

"There's nothing left for me here now."

"Me! I'm still here!" Arthur was shooting him a betrayed look and started slithering from the bed. As soon as his feet touched the floor, he whirled around angrily to face Leon. "You are supposed to be a knight and save people and be my friend. You can't run away from that now. And if you do, I don't want to be your friend!"

In a manner that only a future king could manage, Arthur turned on his heel and stormed towards the door. It would be impressive in a few years, but Leon knew the maids just found it adorable when their six year old prince announced that he didn't like anything.

"Arthur, wait." Calling him back as Arthur's hand lifted towards the door handle, Leon swivelled around until his legs were hanging off the bed, staring at the prince. Bors might have filled the room with his voice, but Arthur was somehow filing it with life again. Leon knew in the instant that Arthur turned back around he would never be able to leave. Life here had been all he ever wanted, and he hadn't seen his mother for so long he wasn't sure he could slot back into life in the country. He was a man now, not a boy.

"Do you really want me to stay?"

Arthur nodded, chewing on his bottom lip as a way of showing he wasn't nearly as certain about everything going on as he was making out.

"Do you think you can get me a new room?" Leon knew he couldn't stay here, where every item of furniture reminded him of his father. Arthur's face split into a blinding grin and he ran across, grabbing Leon's hand. He didn't say anything until he had proceeded to drag the older boy down the corridor and into his own rooms. Leon stumbled along, catching sight of Bors as he did so.

His mentor simply dipped his head with a small smile and Leon knew who had fetched the prince in the first place. He found himself nodding back, despite his eyes watering.

Arthur was right, Camelot would always now be his home, no matter what.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much once again for the fantastic support! To the guest reviewer - Arthur wasn't telling him he couldn't go back at all (as touched upon in this chapter!). He was trying to get Leon to realise his home was now Camelot and everything he had been working for/dreaming about was happening there. Sorry if it didn't come across that way.**

**Ages wise in this one, I'm going at a bit of a stretch. The show seemed to depict Arthur coming of age at 21 rather than anything else, so I'm going with that. **

"Congratulations, lad."

Leon fought to keep his smile just at that rather than the beam he could he feel threatening to burst forth. The rest of the court was buzzing with talk of what just happened and Leon felt himself blushing slightly when he allowed himself to think about the fact they were talking about him. For once, however, he didn't mind it too much. He knew he had made his father proud.

"Thank you, Master." Bors chuckled, a sound that never failed to put a smile on Leon's face and clapped him on the shoulder again.

"You can't call me that any more, lad. You're a knight now; the only master you have is the same as me, the king."

Leon dipped his head in understanding, but knew deep down he would always think of Bors as being his master. It didn't matter whether he had been twelve or eighteen, the man still had the power to make him laugh or cry with nothing more than a glance. In some ways, Bors would always be his master, but he knew what the knight was trying to say. Leon was taking the next step in his life now.

He knew there had been hours of debates and arguing between the king and his knights and among the knights themselves. At only eighteen years of age, Leon knew he was one of the youngest to have ever been knighted. But Bors had made it perfectly clear he had nothing more to teach his young squire, and it had come as a surprise to everyone when Uther had agreed. Everyone, that was, apart from Leon. He wasn't naïve; he knew Uther had been watching him over the years, especially since his father's death. He had to for if Leon had showed any sign of blaming the king for this father's passing, Uther would have had to make sure his heir was safe

But Leon had understood; he had always understood. His father was going to do his duty, no matter what. After reassuring a worried Arthur that he indeed knew where his home was, Leon had left Camelot for a month in order to return to his mother and make sure their estate was running smoothly. It was his duty as man of the family now. But he had hurried back to Camelot as soon as was proper, anxious to once again take his place by Arthur's side. He trained harder and longer than any other squire and while Bors had been impressed with his progress before his father's death, Leon knew he was almost astonished by the change that had taken place upon his return. But no amount of offered caution could make Leon slow down. He knew what he wanted and he was not going to stop until he had been knighted.

And that was precisely what had just happened.

Bors clapped him on the back, the older knight moving away to let the younger ones approach. Leon could still see the smile on his face though, he knew the man was proud. Considering his father couldn't have been here for the day, Leon was just grateful Bors was. As he watched his mentor moving away, Leon's gaze was drawn to a small figure standing off to one side with a smile just as wide. Feeling himself beaming again, Leon made to step forward.

He knew Arthur had been attending, yet the thrill of the occasion had meant he had been so focused on the king and the knights standing around him that he hadn't even noticed where Arthur had been standing. But just as Bors had been proud of him, Leon found that he was now proud of Arthur. The prince had started attending official events and while the eight year old had initially screwed up his nose at the sight of formal clothing, Leon thought he carried them very well for his age – even if it had taken Arthur a few lessons how to turn corners without tripping over the end of his cloak. But it was more than just the clothing; he had learnt how to stand still and just allow himself to be on the side lines without needing the attention to be on him. Considering Leon knew how much he still craved his father's attention – whether it be good or bad – he was pleased to see Arthur taking his duties responsibly.

Now, however, there was nothing but childish excitement in the boy's face and Leon had a feeling his probably wasn't much better. He took a step towards the child, trying to edge his way around two of the oldest knights who seemed to be yelling at each other through their lack of hearing. Arthur saw what he was trying to do and stepped forward himself, only to find his way blocked as Leon's friends swarmed around him. Not all were present and Leon knew a couple had been banned by their masters over fits of jealousy that Leon was the only one allowed to be knighted at such a young age. But those who were there had broad smiles on their faces and their words of encouragement seemed genuine.

"Leon! Thought you had been ducking us, friend. Come, your master has finished telling you what you can and can't do, and now it is our turn. Mainly telling you it is time to go to the tavern, come on." A few hands clasped his arms and voices cut over his protests. Out of the corner of his eyes, Leon could see Bors openly laughing as Leon was nothing short of bundled out of the great hall, the ceremony being well and truly over. But Leon wasn't trying to stay in the room, he was trying to get to Arthur.

He tried telling his friends that and they just laughed, claiming the prince would be fine by himself for one day. When Leon tried to explain he genuinely wanted to see the boy rather than simply doing his duty, it was as if they hadn't heard him. Leon twisted his head around to look back at Arthur, but a body blocked his view and by the time the man had moved, Arthur had gone.

Knowing that this time, he needed to let the day be about him rather than the boy that shadowed him everywhere, Leon let himself get swept away. Before he knew it, he was down at the tavern and his friends were adamant that if they weren't going to be able to get knighted until the more common age, then they were certainly going to make sure they used Leon's ceremony as a reason to empty the tavern of ale.

MMM

There was a buzzing in his ears and the air felt warm as Leon laughingly tried to refuse the next drink that was pushed into his hand. He had lost count and lost all memory of Bors telling him to be careful as he had his first official day as a knight the next day. But somewhere in the haze that was his mind, Leon did remember his master telling him that Gaius had a foul smelling concoction that worked wonders for clearing a thumping head. With that piece of advice ringing in his ears, Leon stopped resisting and let the tankard be pushed into his hands.

After only a few sips, however, the new knight realised he had truly had enough. He had stopped tasting it properly and knew he wanted to make a good impression the next day. He might have been a point of jealousy for the squires, but he knew he was a target for the knights. Not all of them had been happy at his age and Leon knew he was going to have to prove it to them. Putting the drink down, the knight realised his thoughts were sobering him up and he was no longer finding things quite as hilarious as those sitting around him.

"I need some air," he muttered, standing and pulling on his cloak as he did so. He wasn't sure how to react when no one so much as glanced at him, but in a way he knew he wasn't surprised. They had forgotten the reason why they were here almost an hour ago.

Ducking out of the tavern, Leon shivered in the cool night air and glanced at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight and the stars were looking down on him, the whole area bathed in moonlight. Unable to stop himself, Leon smiled sadly, wondering if his father had witnessed what he had achieved that day and whether he was proud or not. Knowing he had had too much to drink, Leon ignored the way one star seemed to sparkle just a little brighter, almost as if acknowledging his thoughts and turned towards the castle. It was hard to put one foot in front of the other, but as he stumbled onwards, Leon found that he was straightening up and breathing in deeply.

He was a Knight of Camelot!

Everything he had always wanted had just come true that day and as the thoughts filled his mind, Leon found – not for the first time that day – a wide grin spreading over his face that he didn't have complete control of. It was as if he just needed to express how he was feeling in some way. As there came the sound of a small scuffle closer to the gate, Leon tried to control that smile as he walked towards it. He was a knight now, he had the authority to deal with things like this rather than having to go and fetch his master.

The closer he got, the more he could make out about the scene he was about to interrupt. The guards had hold of someone, a child by the looks of it, One of them could be heard talking, but Leon was too far away to be able to make out the exact words. He could see in the dim torchlight the child was trying to pull himself free, a cloak covering him and distress evident through his actions. Just hoping he knew what to do, Leon approached.

"Is there a problem?" He felt strong and proud of the cloak resting around his shoulders, the Pendragon emblem blazing in the torchlight now he had proved himself worthy to wear it. He saw the guards eyes dart to it, then his face and then back to the crest again. He knew they must have been weighing up whether he could truly be a knight or not considering his age and Leon let his hand rest comfortably on the sword strapped to his waist. He knew by the ease he performed the action it would do enough to convince the guards he at least knew how to use it.

"We caught this one sneaking around. He won't take the hood down, won't tell us his name."

"Where does he live?"

"Won't tell us that either, M'lord." Leon moved forward so that he was closer to the burning torch the guards had lit. If the boy was that quiet about who he was, Leon could only assume he was up to no good. But as he stepped forward, the small figure wrenched himself away from the hold the man had on his arm and moved towards Leon.

Leon froze.

He didn't need to ask anything else, he knew.

He knew from the way the boy moved, he knew from the way he was holding himself. But most of all, he knew precisely why Arthur had chosen tonight of all nights to try and sneak out.

"Thank you, I will take him from here." The guards looked like they were about to protest, but Leon didn't give them the chance. He simply strode forward, took Arthur's arm again and began marching him back towards the castle. If the child had gone that long without being recognised, Leon felt like he owed it to him to not give away his pretence. Only when he was sure they were out of sight and earshot of the guards did he let go, spinning Arthur around to face him as he bent down slightly.

"What do you think you are doing?" He had meant to sound firm, reprimanding almost in the way that Bors managed. Arthur was a prince, but before that he was just a boy. Camelot after dark, especially outside of the gates, was no place for an eight year old to be wandering around. Leon didn't want to scare the boy, not when he thought he already knew why Arthur was out here, but he knew he had to press home the dangers about what would happen if someone other than the guards had found him, succeeded in taking his hood off and realised who it was.

"How did you know it was me?" Arthur finally lowered the hood, looking a mixture of curious and indignant. Leon knew in that one look the guards hadn't had a clue who they were dealing with and he found himself slightly worried about what they had said to the boy. Instead of answering, Leon just gazed steadily at his young charge and Arthur flushed.

"Of course. It's you, you always know it is me. Well, I've found you now so come on!"

"Where are we going?"

"To the tavern of course! That's where all of your friends are, that's where you should be. I'm your friend as well, I can come too?" Leon had to smirk about the fact he had been exactly right about why Arthur was out here and he shook his head fondly.

"You are not going to the tavern."

"Why not?"

"You're the prince."

"So?"

"You're eight."

"Well, I'm with you? And surely I'll be safe if I'm with a knight of Camelot?" There was such pride in Arthur's voice that Leon knew the child was fully aware about how unusual it was Leon had been knighted already. He continued to gaze steadily at the boy, but was silently cursing in his head that Arthur knew he was helpless when he widened his eyes like that. Even Leon's father hadn't been able to refuse the prince when he looked like that.

"Please? I just want to help you celebrate."

"You're not going to the tavern, Arthur -,"

"What? _Why?"_

"- because I'm going back into the castle."

"Oh." Arthur blinked as he stared at his friend and Leon simply rolled his eyes, beginning to walk off. He didn't need to even glance over his shoulder to know that Arthur would be scurrying after him and it only took a few steps before he felt a hand slide into his.

"Can I come with you there then?" Leon smiled down at the boy, slowing his step until Arthur could keep up with ease. All the guards Arthur must have slipped past on his way out looked startled when they saw the newest knight striding along the corridor with the prince of Camelot clutching onto his hand. The closer they got to their rooms – Leon had made sure he was always just down the corridor from his prince in case the boy ever needed him – the slower Arthur was walking as the tiredness began it take hold. Eventually, Leon sighed, hooked his cloak out of the way and hoisted the prince onto his back. During the day, Arthur tried hard to be the prince his father wanted, especially since Leon's duties had continued to increase as he got closer to his knighthood. But when they were alone, when there was no one around he was supposed to be impressing, he was still that same four year old who had come looking for his friend in order to avoid bedtimes.

Thinking about it made Leon laugh as he realised that Arthur had just done the same thing now, only had to search further. He shook his head, not needing to see Arthur's face in order to know he was frowning questioningly at the back of his head, but simply continued down the corridor.

Arthur's head was leaning against his back by the time Leon nudged open his door. The knight crossed the room, sitting down on the edge of his bed in order to unwrap Arthur's legs from around his waist. Arthur was almost asleep, Leon's quick reactions being the only thing that stopped him from simply crashing down onto the bed. Guiding him back, Leon tugged off the prince's boots and unwrapped his cloak, pulling the blankets up over the slumbering boy. He would go and tell the guards the prince was with him when he was sure Arthur was asleep, but for now, he just sat on the edge of the bed.

"You never asked me why I was coming in," Leon said softly, causing Arthur to open his eyes to gaze at him in sleepy confusion. Leon smiled gently, leaning forward and running his fingers through Arthur's hair. "Maybe I wanted to be with my friends."

"But…oh…" The content look that spread over Arthur's face as he realised what the man was getting at might have been the best thing that had happened so far to Leon that day. It certainly was enough for the young prince to let the remaining tension seep from his body as he sagged against the pillows, fast asleep. Leon stood up, poking the fire and checking on the boy before going to inform the guards.

The feeling of the alcohol running through his body had begun to ebb away now that he had had something else occupying his mind. But instead, there was a new buzz running through his body. Leon paused at the doorway, glancing back at the sleeping prince.

He knew this was entering the next stage in their lives, and he just found himself hoping that he could be by Arthur's side as much as Arthur had been by his for the last eight years.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you so much once again!**

Leon yawned as he finally left the stables, knowing his horse was in capable hands. He had always tried to look after his steeds himself, following his father's teachings that they should try and look after themselves as much as possible rather than relying on others to do their work for them. But this time, he knew it was better for the animal if he just let the stable hands do their job. He was utterly exhausted, the quest having been a long and tiring one. He had been gone for Camelot for nearly a week, and he wasn't sure if he had slept at all in that time.

It should have just been a general scouting mission, but when the other members of his party had been struck down with a sickness that was working its way through the ranks faster than Gaius could heal it, Leon had volunteered to go alone. He had done his fair share of patrolling over his two years of being a knight and knew the chances were that there would be nothing out there. He had never been so wrong and spent both days and nights avoiding bandits, beasts and whatever else had been lurking out there in the dark. He made sure to continue to the designated point before turning back though. Now he was home, however, he wanted nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep for a week.

First though, he knew he had to report to the king, especially considering there was something to actually report this time. Someone had clearly seen his approach for Bors was waiting for him just inside of the castle, a sympathetic look on his face as he clapped the younger man on the shoulder.

"The King is waiting," he said gently, confirming Leon's suspicions it would be another couple of hours before he was able to get some rest. Leon nodded, taking a moment to sag against his old mentor. Bors was the only one who he could show his weakness to, the only one who would ever understand just what it had been like out there alone and vulnerable. The grip on his shoulder tightened slightly before Bors withdrew.

"Come on, lad. Best get it over with." Forcing his weary body upright again, Leon stumbled down the corridor. Bors was right; the sooner he had reported to the king, the sooner he would be able to go to bed. The sun had been setting when he had first entered Camelot and he knew by the time he got out of court, it would be far too late to pay a visit to the prince. Arthur was going to have to wait until the morning.

It wasn't just the king who had been waiting for him, but a cluster of nobles and knights as well. Leon didn't know whether it was because he had done something unusual by patrolling on his own or whether reports had been filtering back through about the troubles happening out in the forest. All he knew was that he had never been so intensely examined over small details that he could scarcely remember. Bors stayed by his side the whole time and Leon had never been so grateful to the man. He knew that he had taken on a new squire, but the late hour meant the boy was no doubt asleep, and it meant a lot that his master still found the time to be there for him.

Leon talked until he felt like he would lose his voice completely, and still the men had questions for him. Where did the bandits attack? Did the beast look like it was conjured by sorcery? How many of the outlying villages were asking for help? Eventually, it was Bors who cut through their questions, insisting that the rest of the interrogation could happen in the morning once Leon had rested. The young knight felt like he was almost about to fall over when the king agreed. Bors escorted him from the council chambers and turned him towards his bed before disappearing in the opposite direction towards his own rooms.

Leon knew, however, there was still one more thing he needed to do before he could collapse. While his own sword might have stayed in his constant presence, the other weapons that had accompanied him on the patrol needed to be returned to the armoury. He knew the squires would make sure they were still in good condition when they started working the next morning and it saved him a job. All he had to do was take a few more steps and he wouldn't have to think about it, or answer to some of the older knights about why they had not been put back in their proper place.

Despite knowing it was making matters easier for himself, Leon still found that he was regretting it as the armoury simply seemed further and further away with each step that he took. When the door finally came into view, he found himself groaning at seeing a candle flickering through the gap. He just hoped it was someone who would understand how tired he was rather than someone who wanted to hold a conversation with the exhausted knight. Preparing himself, Leon pushed open the door, making no attempt to stay quiet so he didn't startle whoever was still up at this hour. He knew how dangerous the armoury could be if caught unawares and he was too tired to be dealing with an accident that could be prevented.

But as soon as he was granted access to the room beyond, Leon stopped, staring.

"Arthur?"

There was nothing but shock in his voice at seeing the prince leaning over one of the benches. The boy had just been squired to one of the knights and Leon had seen first-hand how much it had been exhausting the boy. He thought Arthur would have been thrilled at being taken on at such a young age – especially because he had learnt how late Leon had been chosen due to his unusual relationship with the prince – but that had not been the case. Initially Arthur had been thrilled, there had been no denying that.

But his enthusiasm had swiftly waned. He wouldn't share the stories of what he had been up to during the day with the knight, despite knowing Leon would understand all about his duties. He had gradually begun to withdraw into himself and Leon had been meaning to confront him about it once the patrol was out of the way. Needless to say, doing it while he was this exhausted was not what he had planned, but he knew without having to ask that something was wrong. Arthur might have never enjoyed bedtimes, but there would have been no way he would be in the armoury at this time out of choice.

Arthur jumped at Leon's entrance, spinning around with a look of alarm on his face. His movement allowed Leon to see what he had been doing and he frowned when he saw the clutter of weapons in front of Arthur. He knew the prince's master – Sir Oswald – enjoyed a range rather than just sticking to the usual sword, but even he couldn't use this many. Arthur's hands, however, didn't hold Leon's attention for long when he caught sight of Arthur's face.

To say the boy looked exhausted was an understatement and Leon found himself wondering how Arthur was still standing up. But his eyes were bloodshot and his cheeks red; he had been crying. Arthur hastily sniffed and tried to force his face into a more neutral expression when he saw his friend.

"You're back." Despite Arthur clearly trying to smile, Leon wasn't fooled. He knew how excited Arthur could sound when he returned after an absence, and this was not it.

"What are you doing in here?" Leon questioned, making sure he kept his tone even as he took a step forward. That was all he needed to confirm Arthur had been treating the weapons. Some of them Leon was sure Arthur hadn't yet been taught to handle and so shouldn't even be touching them, let alone oiling them.

"Just finishing," Arthur was still aiming for a casual tone, but Leon heard the way his voice hitch.

"They can wait. It isn't your job to do this. Come on, bed."

"I can't! I have to get them done or…"

"Or what?" Leon wasn't fooled; he saw the scared look in Arthur's eye as the boy snapped his mouth shut. Leon was glad when Arthur didn't try and lie to him, but it simply sparked his curiosity further about what was going on.

"What will happen if you don't get them done, Arthur?"

"He'll be angry," Arthur mumbled, staring at the floor.

"Sir Oswald?" As Arthur nodded, Leon took another step, taking Arthur's arm in order to escort the prince from the room. It was taking a great deal of effort for him to keep his voice calm as the pieces began to fall into place. He had had no say in who the prince would receive as a mentor, despite Uther making it clear he trusted Leon's judgement. But if he had done, he certainly would not have picked Sir Oswald. The man was a fine fighter, no one could deny that. But he was not a natural leader, and had more than once voiced how he felt about Arthur. Upon questioning why the man had been chosen, Bors had said that it would do Arthur good to have someone who wouldn't try and pander to his whims, but Leon had never been convinced.

Before he could say anything else, however, Arthur jerked in his grasp. Leon instantly let go, staring at the ten year old in surprise. He hadn't been exerting any pressure through his grip, yet Arthur had flinched as if it hurt. The prince seemed to realise what he had done and looked at the floor, avoiding Leon's gaze. Not asking permission, Leon proceeded to gently pull Arthur's arm from his sleeve, having a feeling he knew what he was going to find.

Sure enough, an ugly bruise was across the boy's upper arm. Even in the dim candlelight, Leon knew it was a hand print. Silently fuming, he caught Arthur's chin and tilted the boy's head up until he could look Arthur in the eye. Arthur held his gaze for only a few seconds before tears welled up in his eyes. Knowing that look meant Arthur would be prepared to talk, Leon took off his cloak. He knew Arthur usually protested that he was too old for such treatment, but the boy didn't complain as he was wrapped up in it and Leon awkwardly lifted the prince. He knew it wouldn't be long before he wasn't able to do this at all, but for now, he stumbled back to his rooms.

When the fire was lit and Arthur made comfortable, Leon found himself staring into the flames, his own tiredness vanishing as he tried to make sure his prince was alright. Arthur might have managed to choke out a few words about what had been happening, but Leon had gently hushed him and settled the prince into his bed, seeing by the look in Arthur's eyes he clearly hadn't been getting the sleep he should have been. Having Arthur asleep in his rooms forced Leon to control his temper when he was sure he would have otherwise stormed to Oswald's chambers right then, but instead, he found himself perched on the edge of the bed and watching Arthur sleep.

Arthur had been Oswald's squire for three months now. Leon didn't want to consider how long this rough treatment had been going on for. Yet the thoughts were still floating around in his mind and Leon found himself wondering why he hadn't pushed for an answer as soon as he had realised Arthur was hiding something from him.

MMM

Two weeks later, and a smiling Leon leant against a tree, watching as Arthur was helped off the floor, the boy laughing as it happened. It had been two weeks of utter chaos as Arthur had finally come clean about what had been happening. Oswald had been treating him almost like a servant rather than a squire, and as no one had specifically told Arthur what a squire's duty was, the prince had no idea he had been treated differently to all the other boys in his position. Determined to try and make his father proud, he had kept quiet, not wanting to be moaning if it had been nothing out of the ordinary.

Leon had gone to Bors, and the man had been so outraged that the younger knight had honestly thought he was going to go and challenge Oswald right there and then. Instead, the King had been brought into the situation and Oswald had been sent home in disgrace. If it had been any other squire, Uther would have been reluctant to lose such a good fighter for the sake of a child, but the fact it had been his son, the prince, to whom this had happened meant he hadn't given it a second thought.

Leon had initially tried to put himself forward to train Arthur. He knew the boy, he knew his style better than Arthur knew it himself yet. To his surprise, it had been Bors who had refused, claiming their friendship would prove to be a hardship. Leon had tried to argue until his old master had pointed out how strict he had been with Leon when he felt like the boy hadn't been given his duties the attention he could have. Leon had seen the point and backed down. He wasn't sure he would have ever been able to be that strict with Arthur. It was nothing to do with the boy being a prince, but simply because Arthur was his friend. He was more likely to join in with whatever mischief Arthur was intending to make rather than scolding him; a drawback over him being young himself.

But then a few days of deliberating and Bors' own squire had been caught thieving from the kitchens. He had been ordered to spend six months working in the stables to learn his lesson and Bors had once again found himself without a squire. Of course, that had only lasted an hour – long enough for the king to approve and Arthur to be asked if he wanted Bors as his master. Knowing that Bors had been the one who had trained Leon seemed to be assurance enough for Arthur that the same thing wouldn't happen again, and he had thrown himself into his training.

The change that had overcome the boy was alarming. Gone was the quiet prince that had been steadily appearing over the last few months and the Arthur Leon knew was firmly back in place. When his duties allowed him to, he found himself watching Arthur's training. The boy certainly had a mischievous streak, but although Bors played along to a certain extent, he had no qualms about putting Arthur in his place when he went too far.

Folding his arms across his chest, Leon winced slightly at the new bruise emerging even as he watched Bors correct Arthur's grip on the sword for the fifteenth time that lesson. The prince had seen him watching the day before and had told Bors – rather loudly – that he was too old to be able to defeat someone like Leon. Leon had known what was coming even before Bors had beckoned him forward. It was with trepidation he had faced his old master with a sword in his hand – he knew Arthur was wrong. Although he had fought with every skill he had, Bors had still managed to have him flat on his back within a relatively short space of time.

The look on Arthur's face had been worth it though. Leon knew the boy wasn't thinking any differently about him for losing, but Bors had instantly gained the prince's respect in that moment as Arthur learnt age simply meant experience.

Arthur's laugh ringing out across the training fields even made the bruises worth it as Leon watched on with pride. It had taken Arthur a few days before he had had the courage to truly begin to let his guard down around Bors, but now Leon knew the boy was with the best teacher Camelot had to offer. He would be a fine knight indeed, and Leon just hoped he was around to see it.

For now, however, he had to move. He couldn't simply stand here and watch for the rest of the day, not when he had his own duties to attend to. His training session called from across the field, and Leon slowly turned, watching Arthur for as long as he could until he had to turn completely. But even as he moved across the field, Leon knew that his young charge was in safe hands. He also knew that he would most likely be hearing all about it when Arthur crept into his rooms later that night when he should have been in bed, just to be able to tell Leon all that he had learnt.

Despite pretending to be cross and threatening to send Arthur back to his own rooms every night, Leon knew he would never actually do it. He also knew that Arthur was fully aware of that fact. As he heard Bors bark out a reprimand to the prince for not paying enough attention as Leon finally climbed over the small fence that separated the training field, he knew the right decision had been made in regards to who was the best person to train Arthur.

Leon wasn't sure he would be able to be a master and a friend to the boy. But he also knew which one role he would choose without hesitation.


	7. Chapter 7

**It's fantastic to know that people are enjoying this! The plan is to hopefully take it to the beginning of the series, but we shall just have to see what happens!**

**Hope you like this one!**

There was an uncharacteristic scowl on Leon's face as he strode purposefully through the castle. Despite having already known the answer, he had still felt like he needed to check Arthur's chambers before heading outside. He hadn't been surprised when they had been empty of the prince, however. He had known ever since Bors had approached him and told him that Arthur hadn't turned up for his lesson that the boy would not be in his chambers. Leon had kept his fingers crossed anyway and gone to check, just in case Arthur had decided to turn his behaviour around and was waiting for Leon.

But it seemed that Arthur wasn't prepared to give in just yet. Leon had no idea when it had happened, but Arthur seemed to have found a rebellious streak within him that seemed to be driving everyone in the castle mad. He had always been mischievous, but had the power to look up at the person who had caught him in the act and smile. Arthur's smile tended to make even the king melt and Leon knew they had let him get away with far too much while he had been growing up. Yet even though Arthur had always been cheeky, he had never been disobedient.

Even as a small child, he had done precisely what Leon had told him. The same thing was true of Bors. Arthur spent his first year with the man never disobeying him in the slightest and always given his lessons the utmost attention. But then a few new noble families had moved into Camelot. Uther had instantly granted them chambers within the castles as all three families were of noble standing and their bloodlines long and ancient. Arthur had initially scowled, believing it to be another case of someone else taking his place with his father's affections now that the Lady Morgana had come to stay at the castle.

But instead, he had thought he had found some friends in the noble boys. Knowing how put out Arthur had been about Morgana's arrival, disrupting everything he had known, Leon had allowed it to happen. He was kicking himself now, but when he had found Arthur in tears after his father had snapped at him because he wanted to tell him something while the man had been talking to his new ward, Leon had been unable to refuse. He had even encouraged Arthur, knowing the boy had never had a friend his own age.

The other boys had waited just long enough to make sure that Arthur believed in their friendship enough to not go to his father and then had started influencing the prince. It had started off as small things to begin with, and Arthur had been tearfully sorry when Leon had scolded him firmly for harassing the serving staff. But he knew it was getting worse, and Arthur was no longer looking so apologetic. He would say that he was sorry, Leon and Bors – not to mention the threat of bringing his father into it – forced it from him. But his eyes burned with indignation and his stance remained defiant. He no longer meant his apology and Leon wondered how long he would even be able to get Arthur to say sorry. The prince had been sent to his chambers without dinner after he had been caught stealing from the kitchens the night before, but when Leon had gone in to see him an hour later, Arthur had stubbornly refused to look at him.

Leon still wasn't sure whether he had imagined Arthur's small sob as the knight had left, declaring that he was disappointed in the twelve year old. But unless Arthur was willing to show how he was feeling, there wasn't a lot Leon could do. It had been with a long suffering sigh he had agreed to try and track down the troublemaker when Bors had asked him to, knowing the man was getting on now and found searching the entire castle for his missing squire was not something he could do easily.

Leon had searched all of the obvious places, desperately hoping that Arthur had just lost track of time and would be rushing to his lesson even as Leon found him. But the corridors remained Arthur free and Leon sighed as he turned his attention to the courtyard. He had heard reports from the guards that Arthur and his new friends were often found heading towards the lower town. Leon knew why; the friends believed they were protected behind Arthur's status and Arthur was so desperate for them to accept him he did nothing to try and put them off. But they were still boys, all of them, and Leon's hope that Arthur hadn't forgotten his warning from years ago seemed to be in vain as the children tried to act like they were men. Leon knew the trouble was people would still give way to them through fear of word getting back to the king. There once had been a time when Leon had been certain Arthur would have never told, but now he wasn't so sure. The prince was the youngest of this group and Leon knew himself what the pressures of so called friends could mean.

Heading down towards the courtyard, Leon knew his suspicions were confirmed. He could hear the jeering laugh of the older members of the group and was just thankful they hadn't yet made it into town. Picking up his pace, Leon got to the courtyard just as they made for the gate.

"Arthur." His voice rang with authority and the group stopped. Arthur was right in the centre and he turned slowly at Leon's voice. The knight knew in that one look Arthur was fully aware that he was in trouble, but that he didn't want to back down in front of his friends. But unless Leon was mistaken, he could also see by his body language that Arthur didn't particularly want to be going either.

"Your master is expecting you for your lesson, attend to him immediately." It took nearly every ounce of Leon's self-control to address the young prince from the role of a knight rather than as Arthur's friend, but he knew it was the only way Arthur would think of responding to him. The prince took a shuffling step towards Leon and the man found that he was feeling the relief creep up on him at the idea of Arthur coming without a fuss. He should have known it was too good to last, however, as the oldest member of their group put his hand on Arthur's arm.

"You aren't his father, you don't tell him what to do."

Leon felt his eyebrows rise. The boy – Galahad if he remembered rightly – had just turned fifteen and still none of the knights would take him on as a squire. Leon might have felt sorry for him – remembering how it felt despite his late acceptance being due to the king's orders – until he realised just how pig headed the boy was.

"I am a Knight of Camelot and are therefore charged with the welfare of the prince. Arthur, come."

"He doesn't have to go with you if he doesn't want to. Do you, Arthur?" Leon groaned. He knew as soon as Gahalad had given Arthur the choice, the boy would feel stuck. But rather than doing as Leon asked, he would do what he thought was needed in order to keep his friends.

"No. You don't tell me what to do, you aren't my father."

"Your father, the _king_, would expect you to do your duty, now come along." Leon visibly saw Arthur wince and knew he had just struck a low blow. Arthur hated to be reminded that his father was the king first and foremost and Leon knew he would see the truth in his words. Uther would expect Arthur to do his duty, no matter who his new friends were. This time, Arthur took another step towards Leon, but Gahalad wasn't prepared to back down that easily.

"You're the prince, Sire. Only the king has the authority to tell you what you need to do."

"I'm sure Sir Bors, his _master_ would disagree. Arthur, now." This time, Arthur did come forward, but his head was down and he was dragging his feet. Seeming to know they had lost, Galahad glared at Leon. Leon simply glared back and the boy swallowed, grabbing hold of his brother's arm and gesturing for the others to follow him. It came as no surprise that they no longer headed towards the town now that Arthur's title couldn't protect them.

"What was that, Arthur?" Leon took the prince's arm and began walking him towards the training field. He wouldn't put it past the boy to still try and run for it considering the way his face was burning.

"Nothing."

"I suggest you lose the temper, you know how Bors deals with that."

"Of course you'd know, you had him first. You have everything first! You could do whatever you wanted! Everyone gets to do whatever they want apart from me!"

"You really think that is true?" Leon tightened his grip on Arthur's arm and swung the child around to face him. Arthur stubbornly stared in the opposite direction, the muscle in his jaw working. Leon wasn't sure whether the prince was trying to stop himself from yelling or crying. Possibly both.

"Then why do they get to do what they want and I have to go to stupid training?"

"You love training."

"Shows how much you know."

Leon was genuinely taken aback by the sneer in Arthur's voice and he forced himself to keep his temper. He should have known this day would come, the day when Arthur realised being a prince meant things were expected of him that other boys – even noble ones – would never understand. Leon knew even he wouldn't be able to understand, but he had given up his own childhood to be by Arthur's side, he was not going to just stand here and watch as the boy sulked.

"I know you love training because your actions betray your words. Your eyes light up and you listen to everything you are told when you know it will make you a better knight. You want to be a better knight because you know it will make your father proud…and make me proud."

"I don't care what you think! Galahad is right, you are just a knight!" Leon flinched but simply took hold of Arthur's arm again. Without a word, he began to tug the prince towards the training field again, contemplating whether he could still get away with putting Arthur over his shoulder. He knew the prince would grow out of it, he would begin to see where his priorities lay and with that, he would know in his heart what he had to do. Leon knew Arthur would chose being a prince over those boys any day, regardless of what Arthur was saying. He knew the boy better than Arthur knew himself and was more than aware that Arthur was only acting up because he wanted to prove himself to his father. But right now, Leon knew Bors would have more chance of getting through to the prince than Leon would. He would make Arthur work for it rather than just relying on words.

Arthur seemed determined to make the journey as hard as possible, muttering words that Leon didn't even want to know where he had learnt them from and struggling against his knight as hard as he could. When Arthur's language was getting too bad to ignore, Leon stopped again.

"You were never spanked as a child because you never gave anyone cause to. Do not make me start now."

"You wouldn't dare," Arthur sneered, but Leon could see the flicker of uncertainty in the boy's eyes. He clearly knew he had pushed him too far.

"Try me." Leon responded shortly, marching Arthur the remaining distance and handing him over to Bors. Leon might have known Arthur well, but Bors knew his old pupil. He didn't need to ask to know things were bad with the prince and simply handed the boy a sword. As Leon turned away, he knew that Arthur was going to be stiff come the following morning. Bors never took any sort of disobedience lightly, especially not from future kings.

He passed the rest of the day in a bad mood, frustrated that he was losing Arthur and being able to do nothing about it. The worst part of it was that he knew it was coming. He had known there would be a time when Arthur would seek out the company of those his own age, regardless of how he truly felt about them. He had seen the way his father had received their families and knew they were the type of people he should be associating himself with. Upset and angry over Morgana's arrival and Uther's lack of attention, this was the only way he felt like he was controlling his own life.

But even with knowing and understanding the reasons behind Arthur's behaviour didn't make it any easier for Leon to deal with, wanting the return of the sweet little boy who would have done anything to please him rather than deliberately pushing his luck too far time and time again.

It was only when he had eaten and was sitting slouched in his chambers, staring moodily into the fire that Leon truly realised what was annoying him so much. He had done the opposite to Arthur, ending up in the company of those much older or much younger because of how his duties to the prince had dictated his path. While he wouldn't change it for the world, Leon realised he was only so angry because of how much it hurt for Arthur to try and act out now after all of this time of listening to his older friend.

A soft knock on the door made Leon grunt in answer before realising that hadn't been the best of ideas. He wasn't in the mood for company and now found that he was wracking his brains for a way to get rid of his unwanted guest. But as he looked up, he sighed.

"What?"

He was in no mood to try and pander to Arthur's whims now. But dressed in his nightclothes, his hands twisting the bottom of his top in a familiar gesture of uncertainty, Arthur looked his age for the first time that day now that the sneer had gone from his face.

"Sir Bors said I had to apologise."

"Well, don't bother. You clearly don't mean it and are just going to do it again tomorrow.

"No! No, that's not true, I won't, I promise…" Arthur darted forward as words fell from his lips and Leon found that he was relaxing despite himself. This was the Arthur he knew, the one desperate for companionship. Leon sighed, forcing himself to instantly not give in.

"You said that last week, Arthur."

"But I… I didn't mean to, honest. Please say you forgive me?"

"I thought you didn't care what I thought?"

"I do! Honest I do! I didn't mean any of it, I'm sorry! I won't do it again, I won't see them again if you don't want me to, please…"

"Come here, Arthur," Leon gently took the boy's hand, drawing him in closer and finding he was adjusting the ties on his shirt without thinking about what he was doing. Arthur stood still – the opposite of what he had done the night before when he had practically slapped Leon's hands away.

"You know that one day, you will be Crown Prince and after that, King. What is said in rashness then will have consequences far worse than a knight making you work hard all afternoon. You could start a war, people could be hurt or killed because of what you chose to say or do."

"I know."

"Do you, Arthur? Do you truly know that or are you just saying that because it is what you want me to hear?" Leon sighed as Arthur bit his lip, clearly not knowing what answer Leon wanted.

"It is not my decision to make whether you see them or not. The choice remains with you and you alone. You have to decide whether you want their company or not, not simply doing it because of who they are. The fact you are even willing to not see them just to please me shows you already know the answer to that."

Arthur stayed quiet for a long moment before tentatively nodding.

"You wouldn't have really spanked me, would you?" Leon lifted an eyebrow and looked at Arthur sternly. He wasn't sure whether he would be able to or not, but he didn't want Arthur knowing that.

"I hope you never give me another reason to find out."

"I won't," Arthur's voice was a whisper this time and tears were in his eyes as he looked up at his friend, lip trembling. "I really am sorry."

This time, Leon believed him. It wasn't what Arthur was saying; it was the way he was saying it that made the knight believe him. He ruffled the boy's hair before finally relenting and drawing him into a hug. The way Arthur simply melted into it made Leon realise the prince had no intention of leaving the room until he had managed to get at least one.

"You brat," Leon muttered fondly, realising he had just given Arthur what he wanted. He wondered who else Arthur could manipulate so successfully in the castle; for Leon was sure he was not the only one. He felt the prince smile against his neck and knew in that moment that they were going to be alright. No matter what it took or what they went through, they were always going to be alright.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much for the reviews, especially the couple that I cannot respond directly to. They mean a lot.**

Leon fiddled awkwardly with his gauntlet, struggling to do it up one handed as he stared across the field. He knew that he should be focusing on getting his own armour on, but he found that he was distracted by watching Arthur get Bors ready for the upcoming tournament. To say it had been an awkward few years was an understatement, but Arthur had been behaving well the last few months and Leon just hoped that this was him beginning to turn his attitude around. It was hard to be angry at him though. Ever since Arthur had made those promises a couple of years ago, he had always made sure he was on his best behaviour when Leon or Bors was around, tackling his duties with focus and seriousness that fitted someone twice his age.

But when it came to trying to get Uther's attention, he changed. Leon knew Bors had tried to speak to the king in order to get the man to pay a little more attention to his son's training, making sure he always praised Arthur in the king's hearing, but Uther always waved him off, claiming he trusted Bors' abilities to make a fine knight out of Arthur. The prince had come to the conclusion that if he wasn't going to get his father's attention through being good, then he was going to find other ways to get it. Harassing staff, stealing from the kitchens and generally making a nuisance of himself had turned the boy everyone had loved into someone they backed away when seeing. Leon hated it – he knew why Arthur was doing it, but he could never catch Arthur doing anything bad enough to truly reprimand him other than a scolding. Arthur was toeing a line, making sure he stayed on the right side of the knights but deliberately trying to get his father's attention.

It didn't help that now his lessons had progressed, Arthur had grown more confident in his knowledge. He would speak out in the few council meetings he had been allowed to sit in on and find himself forcibly escorted from the room. Leon knew what was grating on the fourteen year old was the fact his father would then take into consideration what the prince had just said, yet still punish him for it anyway. Arthur was simply desperate for some sort of affection from his father and Leon knew the chances were that he would never get it.

But now, however, the tournament had given him something to focus on. It was Bors' last one, the man claiming that he was getting too old for such nonsense but, wanting to give Arthur the opportunity to squire for such an event, had entered himself one last time. It was Leon's second one, and although he didn't have the same excitement as the first time around, he was still looking forward to just being able to let go for a few days and not have to worry about anything.

He knew that he needed to get a move on if he was going to be ready in time for the parade of knights entering. But without a squire of his own – the general consensus being he was still too young to teach despite having proved himself over and over again – Leon found buckles were proving to be their usually tricky self when doing it himself. Of course, it didn't help that he was spending watching the way Arthur handled Bors' armour with sure hands and making mental notes of what to tell the young prince later on in order to make things easier for himself.

Realising what he was doing, Leon shook himself and deliberately turned his back. He managed to focus for long enough to finish getting himself ready and began to move across the field. Bors was already there, yet his squire had vanished. He must have seen Leon's puzzled glance for he smiled.

"He is supposed to be watching as well as attending on me," the old man murmured softly and Leon smiled. He could have kicked himself. Of course Arthur was expected in the royal box when he had finished getting his master ready. There had just been something about the boy's behaviour lately that made Leon think that he was up to something. Arthur had been too good for too long, and while Leon wanted to believe it was him growing up, he had a feeling it was just because Arthur was biding his time. There had been a glint in his eye the last few weeks that made Leon nervous, although when he had asked, Arthur had just claimed that he was excited for the tournament.

Bors clapped him on the shoulder, wishing him luck as the trumpets sounded, announcing that the king had just arrived. Following his old tutor out onto the field, Leon found thoughts of the prince vanished from his mind as he saw the crowds waiting for them. He wasn't the sort of man to seek glory, but even he couldn't deny the rush of adrenaline shooting through him as the crowds cheered their knights and the sun glinted off the armour of the men standing around him. There weren't many occasions where he could fight with all of his skill and not have to worry about being killed in the process.

But as Uther stood and began his usual speech about bringing glory and triumphant, Leon found that he was tuning out. The chair next to Uther – Arthur's chair – was empty.

As discreetly as he could, Leon shifted, trying to see into the crowds. He wouldn't have put it past Arthur to refuse to sit with his father just because he could. But there seemed to be no prince amongst the people either. Leon went to widen his search, but then realised that Arthur wouldn't be foolish enough to lose himself amongst the people without at least one person knowing where he was. Considering that person was normally either Leon or Bors, the knight knew Arthur was not in the stands at all.

It was only the man next to him almost crashing into him that made Leon realise they had just been dismissed. He hurried off from the field, pulling off pieces of armour as he did so. He knew his first fight wasn't for a good few hours, he still had time to try and find where Arthur was. He wriggled free from his armour at a much quicker rate than he had been able to put it on and was down to just his shirt in no time at all. Not wanting to waste what time he had by organising his armour, Leon simply left it in a heap and hurried over to where Bors had been preparing earlier that day. He didn't need to get close to know that Arthur wasn't there either, he could hear Bors yelling instructions for someone to go and find the prince. Not wanting Uther to catch wind of the fact Arthur had disappeared, Leon hurried off himself.

With most of the people being down in the stands, the castle almost seemed deserted in comparison. It meant that no one was around to hinder him as Leon sprinted towards the castle. He didn't want to think about what he looked like as he ran towards Arthur's rooms, bursting through the doors noisily. But there was no sudden hush, no prince diving under the bed. Arthur wasn't here either.

Leon swore, running his fingers through his hair as he tried to think back on Arthur's behaviour the last few weeks. He knew he had been up to something, yet for the life of him, the knight hadn't been able to figure out what. Arthur had been telling the truth when he had admitted to being excited about the tournament and…

Leon stopped his thoughts there, the colour draining from his face as an unpleasant thought made itself known to him. Surely Arthur wouldn't dare? But his heart was in his throat as he slowly crossed Arthur's room and fiddled with the lock on a chest resting at the foot of the prince's bed. He had to close his eyes to steady his nerves as he pulled it open, but Leon felt the world tilt alarmingly as he realised Arthur's sword was gone. In that instant, he knew what Arthur had done.

He had entered the tournament himself.

At a later date, Leon would never be able to recall the journey from Arthur's chambers back down to the field. Everything passed by him in a blur, the only thing he could focus on was the pounding of blood in his ears as he raced to get back. He had no idea what name Arthur would have entered under, meaning he had no clue as to whether the prince would have been called to his first fight or not. Forcing his legs to move faster than he had ever run before, Leon didn't stop to apologise as he bumped into people and knocked racks of weapons over. He glanced towards Bors as he sped past, but the fact the man was still without a squire only made him move faster. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his old mentor turn towards him as Leon darted past and knew without looking the expression that would cross his face when he saw Leon's movement. There would only be one thing that would make the knight move that fast, but Leon didn't have time to explain.

Skidding to a stop, Leon looked frantically up at where the scoreboard had been built, scanning the shields desperately for one he didn't recognise. A few were already elevated, a few of the pegs bare from where the first rounds had been taking place during his travels. Eventually, after what felt like an age to the frantic knight, his eyes fell on a crest that had him frowning. While he recognised it, he knew the family in question were not even in Camelot, let alone competing in the tournament. Leon took a deep breath, forcing his heart to calm down. Now he knew who Arthur was posing as, he would be able to do something about it.

But just as he made to turn away in order to find the prince, the next few rounds were being set up, the corresponding shields moving into position to indicate which knights were taking part. One shield would then be elevated further while the other was cast to the ground, but Leon wasn't thinking about that now. All he could see was that Arthur's shield had just been lifted.

The prince was due to fight next.

Leon cursed, spinning on his heel and darting towards the field. At least this meant he knew where to look for Arthur, he just hoped he wasn't too late. If Arthur was already out on the field, he knew how much it would humiliate the teenager if Leon dragged him off in front of the crowds. But the knight knew Arthur's opponent and he was strong and fast. Arthur wouldn't be able to parry those sorts of blows, his arms simply weren't strong enough yet regardless of his skill.

Running back the way he had come, Leon pelted towards the edge of the field, gasping for breath. The opposing knight had just moved out onto the field to great cheers, but Leon only had eyes for the man left on the side. Not a man, but a boy. How on earth Arthur managed to find armour that fitted him well enough so no one spared him a second glance, Leon had no idea. He wasn't even sure he wanted to know, for that would be admitting that Arthur had clearly planned this for a considerable length of time. His name had just been announced and Arthur took a step forward. Leon almost fell over as he dived for Arthur, grabbing his arm and yanking him back before he became visible to the crowds.

"How dare you, I am…"

"Shut up, Arthur," Leon made sure he kept his voice low so no one could overhear them. If there had been any doubts in his mind at all about who this knight was, they were dismissed when Arthur's body went rigid with tension but he did keep quiet. Leon hauled him over to one side, but a squire ran up to them.

"My Lord, you should be…"

"Sir _Banay_ is withdrawing. With immediate effect." Leon said firmly, leaving the squire staring at them bewildered before running back off into the field.

"No, I'm not, I can do this…" Arthur pulled against Leon's hold and almost succeeded in breaking free. Angry at the prince for being so foolish mingled with the sheer terror that he wouldn't have been in time made Leon snap in a way he didn't think he had ever done with Arthur. He grabbed the boy's wrist, wrenching his arm up behind his back and grabbed his shoulder, holding him there as he marched him away from the field.

"Get _off_ me!" Arthur's protests were muffled through his helmet, but Leon could hear that he was hurting the boy slightly. He loosened his hold a little, but made sure that Arthur had no chance of getting free. He knew that Arthur would be on that field faster than Leon could blink if the prince thought he could get away with it. Having just looked at who was competing, Leon knew which tents would be empty and he took advantage of that. It was only the more senior knights who were allowed tents, but a barked command sent a squire running for cover and Leon forced Arthur in.

He practically threw the prince at a stool, but knew perfectly well that Arthur could take it. For one thing, he was wearing armour so if he had fallen, it wouldn't have hurt him. For another thing, he had been about to enter a tournament. If he couldn't handle falling off a stool, then Leon didn't know what he was going to do. Arthur maintained his balance, pulling off his helmet one handed as he nursed his other wrist.

"That hurt," he whined, glaring up at Leon. This time, Leon glared back.

"More than having your arm shattered while attempting to block a swing you didn't seem coming? Or how about Sir Jeffrey's trick of tripping his opponent while they were distracted with stopping his sword? You would have been flat on your back within seconds. The chances are that Jeffrey would have realised something was wrong and asked you to take your helmet off. And if you refused that, then the Banay family would have been disgraced for cowardice. Just what the hell were you thinking?"

Leon had watched the colour steadily drain from Arthur's face as he spoke. The knight found himself sighing, suddenly feeling weary. He didn't need to ask, he knew what was going through Arthur's head. The prince must have spent weeks planning this in order to get the armour and make sure he could obtain the seal without anyone being suspicious. He had worked hard in order to make sure he could enter, but had never considered what would happen once he was there. Leon knew that Arthur had confidence in his abilities, he would have thought that he actually stood a chance. Against boys of his own age that was true, Arthur was progressing quicker than any of them thought he would, but against fully trained knights? Leon was still considered young and experience in their eyes and he was ten years Arthur's senior.

He let the anger drain from him, knowing that it wasn't going to do any good right now. Arthur was reeling from what he had just been told and Leon knew he had to focus on that first. He moved across the tent and slowly began unbuckling the armour.

"You're not… you're not angry with me?" Leon paused, ruffling Arthur's hair and giving him a small smile. The boy was flushed in the armour and Leon knew they needed to cool him down before he made himself ill.

"I'm absolutely furious with you," he responded, his voice gentle. He pulled away the armour from Arthur's upper body, closing his eyes when he saw how it hadn't even been fastened properly. Arthur would have had restricted movement, he would have been down in seconds. "But I was also scared, Arthur. You could have got yourself killed today."

"I just want to be a knight," Arthur mumbled, his eyes on the floor. Leon sighed, moving across the tent until he reached a table filled with refreshments for whichever knight this tent belonged to. He poured some of the wine into a goblet and then watered it down, wondering if Arthur had yet realised he was shaking. Holding it out to Arthur, he caught the boy's chin in his hand and lifted his head.

"And you will be. But this is one thing you can't just demand to have and expect to be given it. You have to earn it."

Arthur wordlessly took the goblet and took a sip. To Leon's surprise, his eyes filled with tears.

"I just wanted to make him proud," he whispered and the knight felt his heart break a little. He dropped an arm comfortingly around Arthur's shoulders.

"I know. But pulling stunts like this isn't going to get you the attention you want, Arthur. Trust me. Now come on, let's get you back to Bors before he tells the king you are missing."

Leon helped Arthur out of the rest of the armour and sent the boy on his way while he cleared up. Just as Arthur left the tent, Leon called him back.

"I know it isn't the same or what you want, but I'm proud of you," he admitted. His voice was quiet, but there was no denying the certainty in his tone. Arthur smiled.

"That's better."

This time, there was no denying the certainty in Arthur's voice either.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you so much once again for the amazing support!**

Leon stared at the blushing squire in front of, unable to believe what he had just heard. The boy was young, only twelve at the most, and Leon had a feeling this might have been one of the first messages he had ever been sent to deliver, his hands twisting anxiously together. The action reminded Leon so much of Arthur that he rested a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Thank you. You've done well," one dip of his head was all it took for the boy to scurry off. Leon watched him go and found that he wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh or cry at the information he had just been given. It seemed to have come completely out of the blue, but in a way, Leon was not surprised. Arthur was getting older, it was only natural that he tried to push his boundaries in a way every boy of that age would do, regardless of their status. But unfortunately for Arthur, he wasn't like every boy.

And the king did not appreciate his heir turning up the council meeting he had only just been allowed to attend in that state. If what the squire had said was true, Arthur had not been hungover. He had still been drunk.

Leon shook his head, a smile beginning to tug on the corners of his lips as he strode from his chambers and in the direction of the cells. Uther had not taken it well, but Leon had seen Arthur after a drink. He was even more argumentative than normal. The knight should know, the last time it had happened was when one of the guards had had the sense to tell Leon where Arthur was and the man had gone to forcibly remove the prince from the tavern before he embarrassed himself. Not to mention at only sixteen, Arthur shouldn't have been in there. He had hit another growth spurt lately and had begun to fill out. He was growing out of the awkwardness of a boy and into a man, enough to allow him to pass unnoticed for a few hours in a room where the ale befuddled the heads of everyone around him.

In a way, Leon hoped this would be enough for Arthur to learn his lesson. It wouldn't be the cells that would be his true punishment, but his body's protestations about what he had just put it through. If he had indeed still been drunk when he had stumbled into the council meeting, Leon decided he didn't even want to know how much the prince had consumed.

But while he was feeling no sympathy for Arthur, Leon did sigh and change direction. Arthur wasn't going anywhere. Quickly, he strode towards Gaius' chambers, rapping sharply on the door before pushing it open.

"Gaius?" Initially, he couldn't see the old man, but then heard movement coming from the shelves. Leon let himself in, waiting for the physician to notice him. Gaius finally reappeared, an old book in his hands that he was flicking through and muttering to himself. Leon cleared his throat softly.

"Ah, Sir Leon, what can I do for you? You haven't gone and hurt yourself again, have you?"

"Not this time, Gaius," Leon had always liked Gaius. The man always seemed unruffled by the events going on around him, despite being in the centre of it all. He was close to the king and yet stayed firmly in his position without any desires of getting favours for himself. There were not many men Leon thought would be able to do that. But that wasn't why Leon liked him. He liked him because Gaius was frank with Arthur. He might use the boy's title, but he never once pandered to the prince, no matter what was wrong. If he thought that Arthur was putting it on about an injury, he in no uncertain terms told him so. More than once Leon had witnessed Arthur stumbling from the physician's chambers, bright red and the supposed ailment forgotten.

"It's Arthur."

"Oh," the corners of Gaius' mouth twitched and Leon knew that he had heard what had happened.

"The dungeons are bad enough at the best of times, Gaius, but considering what he is about to go through…"

"It is the boy's fault, is it not?"

"Oh I'm not denying that," Gaius must have heard something in Leon's voice for he suddenly softened. Leon had no desire to try and get Arthur out of his punishment but, like always, he couldn't stand the thought of his prince being in pain, despite Arthur having brought it upon himself.

"But, well…"

"Here." Gaius cut through Leon's explanations about the unpleasantness of the dungeons and thrust two small phials at him. "They should help with any nausea and pain. Tell him to keep drinking."

"I will. And thank you," Leon turned to leave, but Gaius called him back.

"This isn't the first time, is it?" Leon froze, sighing before shaking his head. While Arthur might not have ever let friends influence him in the same way that he had done a few years ago, there was no denying that this group was having just as much of a negative impact as the last. It wasn't that they were trying to push Arthur into doing anything, but they were the same age and not quite as focused on their studies as Arthur had been. The king had insisted Arthur started attending more princely duties, but all it really meant was the prince being shut inside pouring over scrolls when he was used to running around outside.

He had too much energy, and all it took was for one person to even think of suggesting going to the tavern – all seemed to be trying to push their luck about whether they could get in there unnoticed – and Arthur fell on the challenge like a wolf devouring his prey. Leon couldn't blame the boys, he knew what it was like to be that age. But while this wasn't the first time, he also knew that it wouldn't be the last, despite Uther's disapproval. This time, Leon had no real desire to stop Arthur either. He knew that if he didn't push boundaries in this way, then he would find another way. As long as no one got hurt, Leon knew that he would simply grow out of it.

Either that, or he would realise just how bad being hungover was and would have no desire to do it again.

Leon nodded at Gaius as he left the physician's chambers, a small grin on his face. He had been in Arthur's position once. A night at the tavern had got out of control and Leon had felt it the next day. But it wasn't his pounding head that he been the problem, but Bors' complete lack of care. If anything, it had just made him push his squire harder and there was nothing worse than the sound of a sword clashing against a shield while his head pounded and his stomach rolled. Arthur might be grateful for being in the dungeons by the time he next faced his master.

Chuckling slightly, Leon made his way down the steps and immediately drew his cloak closer to himself as he shivered in the cool dungeon air. It almost felt nice that Uther had taken his son's discipline into his own hands. Leon knew that someone would have had to say something to Arthur and the task normally fell to him. At least this time, Arthur couldn't try and blame his friend for his current predicament.

He had no one to blame but himself.

Leon nodded to the guard, who gestured to one of the first cells. They were lighter up here, the air slightly warmer and lacking the foul stench that only appeared as they went to further cells. Leon had always thought that would be where he would find Arthur. The king might have wanted to punish his son, but he would never go too far, regardless of what Arthur had done. Part of Leon wanted to know what it was that Arthur had said in the meeting or whether it had just been his presence that had caused the issue. The other part, the part that normally spoke to him in Bors' voice, told him that he possibly really didn't want to know.

It took him a moment to find Arthur when he first glanced into the cell. The boy was curled up in the far corner, his head tucked into his arms as he tried to hide it away from the light. He looked such a pitiful mess with his hair sticking up at odd angles from where he had clearly been gripping it as he tried to hide away. Leon really couldn't help himself; he took one look and burst out laughing.

Arthur slowly uncurled himself, sitting up at the noise. Even that seemed to sap him of any energy and Leon had a feeling the prince hadn't had any sleep. Arthur leant back against the wall, his face pale and his eyes dull. The alcohol was clearly leaving his body and now he was being made to feel it.

"Well," Leon started, a grin on his face as he made absolutely no effort to keep his voice low. In his mind, Arthur had brought this upon himself and Leon was going to make the most of it.

"Go 'way," Arthur croaked, only causing his knight to laugh harder at just how delicate Arthur was sounding. It seemed that the fun of the situation had worn off for Arthur. Leon gestured to the guard until the man handed over the keys to the cell, knowing the knight could be trusted.

"Fetch the prince a pitcher of water. Make sure it does not run dry."

"Sire," the guard hurried off as Leon unlocked the door. The grating of the key in the lock made Arthur flinch and while Leon might have been enjoying this, he knew how rough Arthur must be feeling. He closed the door softly rather than simply letting go as he had originally planned.

"From Gaius," he held out the phials towards Arthur, who glared. The prince shifted, moving away from the offer of help.

"I'm fine."

Leon rolled his eyes, realising he should have seen this coming. It didn't matter whether Arthur had been hurt or was suffering from a hangover, he would never admit to needing help. He put the bottles down in the straw next to Arthur and then sat himself down. Arthur might resist, but when his stomach started swirling, Leon knew he would give into the temptation. Providing, of course, that no one was watching him at the time.

"You'll need them, trust me." He murmured softly, twisting Arthur around until he could massage at the muscles in the base of the prince's neck. Arthur let out a groan of relief before catching himself.

"What are you doing?"

"Stopping you from locking every muscle in your body by being an idiot," Leon responded smoothly, his hands working. Arthur huffed a small breath of surprise, but surrendered to the older knight. Leon could see the muscles relax and knew he had been right in thinking that Arthur was tense. He might be feeling awful right now, but somewhere inside, Arthur knew he was in trouble. It wasn't often his father was involved when he acted up.

"I really messed this up, didn't I?" He muttered hoarsely, leaning back on the wall when Leon was finished. The knight glanced at him unsympathetically.

"Yes. Why did you go?"

"I…"

"I know _why_ you went, Arthur, what I want to know is why you went last night. You knew you had a council session this morning, I thought you had been looking forward to it?" Despite telling everyone around him that he was a man rather than a boy these days, it didn't stop Arthur from sneaking into Leon's rooms to share his doubts and excitement over his increase of duties.

"There were stories that a traveller was in Camelot. That he had fought bears and roamed the White Mountains alone. I wanted to hear it for myself."

"And was he there?"

"Yes. He was a fake though, but by the time we realised that…"

"You'd had enough to drink that you didn't want to leave?"

"I don't even like the taste," Arthur huffed a laugh, but it ended in a groan. He lifted his hand to his head, covering his eyes as he clearly tried to block out the light. "Although the look on Lord Boltmore's face when I told him he looked like a turnip might have made it worth it."

Leon was glad that Arthur had his eyes covered as he fought to keep the grin off his face. Arthur wasn't wrong in that observation and everyone knew the lord had expressed his doubts – loudly - about whether Arthur should have been shouldering more duties.

"You know you have just proved his point?"

"Still worth it," Arthur mumbled, but he dropped his hand as the guard approached, a water jug in one hand and a cup in the other. Leon rolled his eyes even as he stood to take the items from the man. Arthur was not going to let anyone perceive him as weak, no matter what his situation. Leon dismissed the man and poured out some water, handing it to Arthur.

"Here."

"I'm fine."

"Just drink it, Arthur. Trust me. You need to be fully functioning by tomorrow morning. I know you don't feel like drinking now, but that headache won't go if you dehydrate yourself in the process."

"How would you know?"

"Just trust me. And whatever you do, don't flinch if Bors asks you loudly how you are."

"Leon…" Arthur sat up slowly, turning to look at the older man with a look of incredulity on his face. "How exactly do you know that?"

Leon flushed slightly and just forced the cup into Arthur's hand. There was a knowing grin spreading over the prince's face and Leon knew that he had just been caught out. He stayed quiet though. He knew what Arthur was like; when he got his mind set on something, there wasn't anything or anyone who could get him to turn away from his chosen path. That piece of information had just caught the prince's attention and Leon knew he had been found out.

"Did you try and go to training with a hangover? Even I haven't done that…"

"No, you just insult members of your father's council instead." That caused Arthur to snap his mouth shut, but still Leon could feel himself blushing. Arthur had a wide grin on his face and looked as if he had just discovered a great secret. Leon nudged him.

"It was once."

"I can't _believe_ you turned up for training hungover."

"Says he," Leon didn't care if it was a childish retort. He had a feeling Arthur was not going to be letting this go any time soon and he didn't really know how to react to it. "I'm not perfect, Arthur."

"I always kind of thought you were," Arthur's words were so quiet that Leon almost missed them. But when they registered in his mind, he became acutely aware that he was staring at the prince. Deep down, he knew that Arthur had always looked up to him more than he had any other man, even his own father, but to know that he truly had thought that Leon wasn't flawed in any way.

"No man is, Arthur." He said gently, feeling the need to pull this conversation back under control while he still could. He stood up, clearing his throat self-consciously and watching as the noise made Arthur flinch. Somehow, that made him feel like he was back in control of the situation and he placed the jug down.

"I'll make sure the guards bring you something plain, try and eat. And make sure you drink. And take the tonics from Gaius."

"Yes, _Sire_," despite his tone, there was a teasing glint in Arthur's eyes and some sparkle was beginning to return to them. Leon rolled his eyes, knowing he would have to resist the urge to cuff Arthur over the head. He wanted this to teach the prince a lesson, but something told him that would not be the best move right now.

"Brat," he shot back, nothing but fondness in his tone as he turned to leave. He had been calling Arthur a brat for a few years now, and he knew the prince could never take it as anything other than a term of endearment when it came from Leon. But what the knight was more worried about was what happened when other people started to use it with meaning behind the words. He knew it wouldn't be long if Arthur carried on the way he was going, and he knew that it would be the quickest way for the prince to lose the respect of the knights – many of whom saw him as a hard-working young man.

He let himself out of the cell, relocked it and gave the key back to the guards. As he turned to leave, he saw that Arthur was taking a sip of the water despite having curled back up again. A small smile touched on Leon's face as he walked off, making him feel a slight flicker of guilt about what he was about to do. Determined to not let the fact Arthur _still_ obeyed him after all of this time put him off, Leon began the search for Bors.

The cells might not be enough to stop Arthur from a repeat performance of what had just happened; he was too stubborn. But a training session with a disapproving master might be precisely what Arthur needed. After all, Leon had never done it again after his attempt.


	10. Chapter 10

**thank you so much once again for the lovely reviews. Not much to go now.**

Leon stood upright with his hands clasped behind his back, almost swaying in weariness as he listened to the more senior knights report to the king about the success of their patrol. Bandits had once again begun to roam the forests more often than normal and after more than one story had been brought to the king's attention about people being attacked on the road, he had sent in his knights. It had taken days and they had lost many good men, the bandits working together far more efficiently than Leon had ever seen. He knew that while some still remained, they would prove a threat to the kingdom. But barely a knight had escaped unscathed and they were all exhausted. A fresh patrol were leaving at dawn, and Leon was just glad the gash on his leg meant he wasn't going as well.

"Very well, dismissed."

"Sire," the knights almost collectively dipped their heads and moved towards the door, relief obvious in the way their shoulders seemed to slump.

"Sir Leon, a word?" Leon bit back a groan. He knew he couldn't very well tell the king he would rather sink down in a hot bath than stay behind, however, so he once again stiffened his body, turned and bowed before Uther.

"Sire?" Uther waited until everyone else had gone and the doors shut with a satisfying clunk that seemed to echo around the room.

"Was he hurt?" It took a moment for Leon's tired mind to register what the king was asking him before he smiled softly. While he wished that Uther would just go and find out for himself, Leon was glad that he had asked. It showed that he cared, even if he didn't know how to show it.

"A mild concussion and a grazed arm, My Lord. Gaius has already seen to him."

"Good, good. And did he...?"

"He fought brave and true, Sire. You should be proud." Leon wasn't sure whether he was being a little reckless adding the last part on the end, but he couldn't help himself. This had been Arthur's first official patrol, despite having snuck out into the woods on his own over the years. Leon had been hoping it would be a quiet one for Arthur's first time, that he would have been able to use the time to bond with the other knights in a way that could only be found away from the castle. But instead, he had been forced to watch as men were killed in front of him, and for the first time ever, Arthur had been fighting for his life. He had been in scraps for years now, but never before had Arthur faced the very real danger that he could be killed.

Sir Hector – the man leading their patrol – had taken one look at the pale and trembling eighteen year old when they got back and sent him straight to his rooms with a servant sent for Gaius. Arthur didn't need to withstand the debriefing, especially not considering his father would most likely make him deliver it. He had just seen men die, he had just killed for the first time. This was when a more gentle hand than the king was needed.

Leon didn't realise he had frozen at his words until the king waved a hand in his direction, dismissing him without a word. As quickly as he could, Leon limped from the room, wondering what was going through the man's mind. Was he thinking about how he could have lost his heir out there today, that he needed to tell Arthur he had done well? Or was he simply thinking about how to flush out the rest of the bandits without losing any more men?

Once outside, Leon instantly picked a direction. He knew that he should be going to see Gaius in order to get his leg treated. If nothing else, he knew that infection could claim a man just as easily as any sword. But he also knew the physician would have his hands full right now. The rest of the knights would have gone there once they had been dismissed, and being a few moments later meant Leon would be firmly at the back of the queue. Not to mention he knew that he was in no immediate danger, he had cleaned the wound up as best as he could anyway. He would simply be made to wait. While he was waiting, however, Leon knew that he could be doing something far more beneficial.

It seemed to take him an age to get to where he wanted to go, his leg holding him up. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he was being made to feel every step. More than once he had to rest a hand against the wall and take a few shaky breaths just to stop his leg from giving way from under him, but Leon knew that he couldn't stop. Not until he got to where he needed to go. Eventually, he came to the doors of his chambers, but deliberately walked past them. Instead, he managed to limp his way a little further down the corridor and around the corner before knocking softly on a door.

"Arthur?"

There was no answer, but Leon knew that he was in there. He also knew that if Arthur had fallen asleep, then Leon's entrance was not going to disturb him. The prince was used to servants coming and going while he slept, movement wasn't enough to disturb him from his rest. Leon hoped that one day, that would not be his undoing, but for now, he just pressed down on the handle and let himself in.

The room was dimly lit. A fire was burning lowly, barely sparking and only a couple of candles still had their flames flickering. Judging by how low even they had burnt, Leon had a feeling that Arthur had dismissed everyone as soon as Gaius had left him. Glancing towards the bed, Leon could make out a shape curled up, although whether Arthur was actually under the covers or not, he couldn't tell. He knew that Arthur wouldn't say anything until he felt ready, so Leon forced himself to hobble over to the fire place. He braced himself on the wall with one hand as he bent down, poking through the sparks until more of the wood eventually caught and the fire leapt up, bathing the room in a golden light. Instantly, Leon could feel the warmth seeping into his tired body and he was hard pushed not to groan out loud at the sensation.

Leaving the candles for the time being – knowing he had enough light to see by – Leon made his way over to the bed. Thankfully, Arthur must have been lying down when Gaius examined him for there was a chair resting by the bed. Leon didn't particularly care who had left it there, but sank down into it. It was only then that he realised he was shaking as he stretched out his leg with a long groan. Arthur was curled up on top of the covers, his arms wrapped around himself as he seemed to stare off at nothing. Leon could see that his eyes were alert though, he knew that the knight was there. Reaching out a hand, Leon gently touched Arthur's shoulder.

"You're cold!" he exclaimed, shifting forward. He tugged at the blankets, but they were trapped under Arthur's body and he wasn't yet ready to make himself stand again. He wasn't sure he would be able to stay upright. He still managed to move too far, however, and hissed with pain as it jarred his leg. Arthur's eyes snapped onto him.

"You're hurt." Arthur pushed himself up, but he made the same mistake that Leon did. He put his hand down to support his weight, forgetting about the nasty cut running up his arm. The limb refused to lock and Arthur ended up back down where he started. Leon shifted in sympathy, but then found a wave of alarm was shooting through him at the tears burning in Arthur's eyes. The boy never admitted to being hurt, no matter what he had done. In fact, the only time Leon had seen him kick up a fuss was when he had been faking it and trying to get out of a formal dinner. To see him looking this vulnerable now pulled on the knight's heart.

"Do you want to something for the pain?" He asked gently. He was certain that Gaius would have left provisions in case Arthur needed them. The prince shook his head.

"It's fine," he muttered, and despite the evidence saying otherwise, Leon found that he was believing him. If the pain was bad enough to bring tears to Arthur's eyes, Leon would have heard it in his voice. This was about something different, and Leon had a feeling he knew what. He managed to inch the chair forward without hurting himself.

"What is it?"

"Nothing! I'm fine."

Leon knew Arthur well enough to know when he was trying to force his voice to stay steady. Arthur was trying to hold himself together, and Leon was certain that he knew why.

"You did well out there. I saw you save Harold's life. Your father will be proud. You fought well, Arthur, you earned your place on that patrol."

Arthur simply shrugged, biting back a wince as it jarred his arm. Leon fell silent, studying him. He had a feeling that Arthur was about to say for himself what the issue was. He knew how much the prince closed up when pushed, but he also knew how to read the signs – he knew when to wait Arthur out. He had just begun to think that he was going to have to get back across the room to stir up the fire again when Arthur spoke. His voice was quiet and a far cry from the usual confident tone the eighteen year old displayed.

"What was the point?

"What do you mean?"

"We didn't even stop them all. More people are going to have to go out there in order to find the rest of them, more people will get hurt. More will get…" Arthur broke off, sucking in a sharp breath through his nose.

"Killed?" Leon prompted, realising that he had been right in thinking about what was going through Arthur's head. He had been trained to kill ever since he had begun his training. While practice was different to reality, Arthur had known what to expect from it. What no one had trained him for, however, was watching comrades being cut down next to you. Leon knew there was no lesson for that, no way to explain how it felt until one had experienced it. Then it was just a matter of picking up the pieces.

Arthur nodded, his face angry even as he confirmed Leon's thoughts. He made it into an upright position this time, swinging his legs over the bed and glaring at the wall.

"We're protecting people, Arthur."

"At what cost?!"

"What did you see?" Leon said slowly, realising that this was more than just seeing death. Arthur had touched death.

"Sir Lawrence. He was right next to me. One of them, he had a crossbow. My back was turned, I was fighting someone else. Lawrence yelled my name and the thug fired even as I turned. Lawrence threw himself in the way. He didn't just die, Leon, he died for me!"

Arthur's voice had started off quiet and unsure, but he was yelling by the time he had finished. Leon managed to shuffle closer still, reaching out and gripping the back of Arthur's neck. His grip was firm and strong, grounding the young man back in reality before he could lose Arthur to whatever was running through his head.

"Then he died with honour doing his duty."

"He shouldn't have taken that bolt!"

"Yes, he should."

"How can you say that?" Arthur pulled away from the touch and Leon let him. But Arthur didn't go far, his eyes wild as he stared at Leon. The knight was forcibly reminded of a much younger Arthur demanding to know what the difference between a knight and a soldier was. He still had the same stubborn glint in his eye now as then and Leon knew that he would not be permitted to leave the room until Arthur had all the answers that he wanted. Unlike when the prince had been small enough to just crawl across his lap, Arthur could physically stop him now if he wanted.

"It was his duty, Sire. Any of those men out there would have taken that bolt for you. Myself included."

"Don't say that! Don't _ever_ say that! You are not to die for me, you hear? None of you are!" The last part was added onto the end wildly, almost as if Arthur had only been able to focus on Leon's offer to die for him rather than saying that any of the men would have. Leon smiled gently.

"You are our future King, Arthur. It's our honour and duty."

"I don't care. I don't ever want people dying for me like that! What's the point of all this training and all the lessons if I'm supposed to just sit back and let men die in my place? I didn't watch my back today, it should have been me who paid the price."

"Then how many would have died?"

"What?" The heat had gone from Arthur's voice and Leon smiled gently. How had he coped with it? He had been knighted when he had been Arthur's age, he had been thrown out on patrols without the comfort of a master waiting to explain it all. Bors had only taken one look at them on arriving home and told Leon that it was up to him to sort the prince out. But Leon could remember how he had stayed up the whole of the night after his first time, wanting someone to tell him that it was going to be alright and missing his father more than ever.

"Arthur, you are the future of this kingdom. If something happened to you out there, there would be no heir to the throne. The kingdom would tear itself apart trying to solve who would be next in line to the throne. No matter the costs, you have to live."

"It's wrong though." Leon sighed, knowing that Arthur was in an argumentative mood. In a way, he was glad because he knew that would be the only way the young man would be able to work through what was on his mind. "Bors forever tells me to watch my back. I forgot, and look what happened to Lawrence."

"He won't be the last, Arthur. I know you don't want to accept that, I know how hard that is. But there is only one thing you can do."

"What?"

"Learn from it. Make sure that you don't make the same mistakes. You fought bravely out there, and if that isn't enough to get your father to allow your knighthood brought forward… You don't want people to die for you because you are a good man, Arthur. But that? That is precisely why they would do so."

Arthur didn't answer and Leon was pleased to see that the prince was clearly thinking over his words. He let his hand rest on Arthur's neck again.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of because of what happened out there. If it is any help, Kay pushed Thomas off his horse to make him avoid an arrow. You're not the only one they would die for. That's what makes us so unstoppable." Leon slowly began to push himself out of his chair, wincing as he did so. He jumped in surprise when a hand curled around his wrist, the touch fleeting and unsure.

"Don't leave me?" Arthur whispered, and Leon immediately sank back into his seat. He knew Arthur was afraid of the nightmares, especially considering what was running through his head.

"I'll be here for as long as you need me. Come, Sire, you should get some sleep." Leon managed to tug on the blanket and this time, Arthur helped. He scooted up the bed until Leon could tug it free, then laid back down at the knight's prompt. Leon slowly drew the blankets up over him.

"Get some rest, Arthur. I swear I won't go anywhere." Arthur nodded, clearly forcing his body to relax. Both men stayed quiet and Leon found himself staring into the flames. It didn't matter what he had just been saying, it didn't make it any easier to lose friends out there. He sighed, just feeling himself beginning to doze off when Arthur spoke again.

"Did I really do alright out there?" It was nothing more than a whisper in the darkness and Leon smiled. He stretched out a hand until he rested it on Arthur's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Yes, Sire, you did. You should be proud of yourself."

"I don't want to be proud of myself." Leon drew back, knowing that Arthur was still thinking that he caused the deaths. But before he could turn completely, Arthur spoke again.

"As long as you are proud of me."

"More than you'll ever know. Now, sleep."

This time, Arthur did as he was told and Leon found that he was watching him closely. When had his little prince turned into such a strong knight and leader?

As Arthur slept, Leon sat by his side. He knew the day had been a hard one for the prince and that the next few days would have Arthur no doubt acting up more than he had done for years as he struggled to cope with how he was feeling. But for the first time, Leon had finally seen the king that he knew Arthur was going to become.


	11. Chapter 11

"I might not be your teacher any more, Sire, but that does not give you the right to act so irresponsibly. I will make sure your father is informed of this immediately."

"Fine, it's not like he would actually care."

Leon groaned as he headed towards the training field as fast as he could, knowing precisely who the raised voices belonged to. Arthur had been knighted on his nineteenth birthday, finally ending his time with Bors and allowing the man the retirement he had been considering even when he took Leon on. But with Leon constantly being sent on patrols and no longer having Bors to reign in his behaviour, Arthur was slipping again. He didn't have to answer to anyone other than the king now that he was no longer a squire. Most men his age also still had the fear of their parents keeping them in line, but Arthur was more likely to act out to get Uther's attention. Even now, at twenty, he was still just as desperate for approval from his father when he had been half that age.

Leon arrived just in time to see Bors walking off, his shoulders slumped in disappointment. Arthur had turned, clearly intending to make a retreat himself, but Leon wanted the full story of what had just landed the prince in trouble this time. He cleared his throat meaningfully and Arthur stopped. He turned, and Leon wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel when Arthur seemed to deflate upon seeing who it was. While he was touched that the prince still reacted to him so well, it was nothing short of a nuisance. Leon had duties and keeping Arthur under control wasn't one of them.

"What happened this time?" Leon demanded, knowing that if he appeared to be soft in anyway, Arthur would walk all over him. Despite knowing that the prince reacted to him more than others, Arthur's knighting had changed things. For the first time in the prince's young life, they were on the same footing. Leon had always been one step ahead – first of all with their tutors, then as a squire, then finally as knight. Despite the older man having far more experience than Arthur, he knew what it meant to the young man to finally feel like he had caught up with the one person he had been looking up to for his whole life. Leon had hoped it would change things for the better, but it just seemed to be making Arthur more argumentative. Arthur shrugged at his question and Leon had to bite back a groan at seeing the slight grin tugging at the corners of his lips. It was exactly the same expression when Arthur had been up to mischief as a boy.

"I've never seen Bors look like that, what did you do, Arthur?" That seemed to get through to the prince a little more and Arthur sighed.

"I was on patrol with the others…"

"The ones heading to the northern border? I thought you were looking forward to that?"

"I was! What made you think I had suddenly changed my mind about it?"

"The look on your face right now," Leon muttered, hitching himself up onto a fence post and studying Arthur closely. From what he could make out just through Arthur's expression, the prince had been genuinely looking forward to it, and then something had happened along the way that had either changed his mind or made him act out. Arthur looked a little surprised at Leon's reasoning, but then smiled properly, seeming to know that nothing was ever going to get past the man when it came to how he was feeling.

"Galahad ended up coming as well."

Leon's heart sank. He had hoped the young troublemaker from so many years ago would have left Camelot by now. But instead, there had been a sympathetic knight who had taken him on and he was approaching his own knighthood. Many said that he changed, but Leon caught the smirk on his face when he didn't think anyone was watching. He had changed – he had simply got better at not being caught. Several incidents that seemed to stray true to his behaviour when he was just a boy had sprung up, and although there was never any proof, Leon knew who it was. He had seriously hoped to be able to keep Arthur away from him, or at least make the prince be on his guard. He knew that Galahad was still a smooth talker.

"I'm assuming you mean that he accompanied his master, he is still a squire," Leon prompted, keeping his fingers crossed that someone had been on hand to control the boy. Arthur shook his head.

"He came on his own, just turned up when we were two days ride. There had already been signs of disturbances in the forest, and he played the squire card to make sure that he didn't get sent back on his own. I didn't like it at first, it was supposed to be my first official patrol. But then…"

"What?" Leon could feel the suspicion stirring in the pit of his stomach. In a way, he knew that while Arthur was responsible for his own actions, he was still too easily influenced. Apart from Leon, no one had ever been a friend to the prince, not even Galahad and his group those years ago. The slightest bit of positive attention and Arthur fell on it like a starving dog. Galahad wouldn't have had to do much in order to persuade Arthur to do something common sense would have otherwise prevented the prince from partaking in.

"What did you do, Arthur?"

"We slipped away in the night when I was supposed to be on watch. We were only an hour from the nearest town. I thought we would be back before they realised that we were gone, we were only going to go for one drink…"

"You are a knight of Camelot yourself, Arthur. Surely you know full well just how alert the men you were with would have been, especially having the prince along with them? How long did it take them to come after you?"

"We had just reached the border of the town when they turned up. Some of the locals tried to get involved, it almost turned into a full on fight." Arthur mumbled, clearly knowing the fact others had almost got hurt because of him would make things a whole lot worse with Leon. For his part, Leon simply sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Arthur…"

"I know, I know, I shouldn't have done it. They reported to Bors, he says that he is going to tell the King."

"You abandoned your post, Arthur. If there had been something in that forest, the men you were supposed to be guarding would have been left without warning, potentially defenceless."

"I know that!" Arthur yelled, sinking his fist into the fence. It was only then that Leon noticed he was shaking with anger. But who that anger was directed at, the knight wasn't quite sure. Something told him that Arthur was angry at himself. For the first time ever, he seemed to really regret what he had done and the fact he had been so easily led astray.

"So why did you do it?" Arthur went red and Leon found himself blinking in surprise. "Arthur?"

"Galahad had something over me. He said that he would tell the others if I didn't go along with it. He made me take the blame, knowing that I wouldn't be dismissed because I'm the prince."

"What did he have over you?" Leon asked slowly, hating the idea that Arthur had done something so bad that it could be used as blackmail. But he knew how dangerous secrets like that could be, especially considering Arthur's position. The prince seemed to realise that Leon was not going to let him go before he told him precisely what was going on.

"You know when I sprained my shoulder last month?" Arthur asked quietly and Leon simply nodded, a frown pinching his nose. Arthur took a deep breath. "I didn't do it during training. I did it the night before."

"What do you-,"

"I mean I've been sneaking back to the training grounds each night after dinner. I know we have strict routines to make sure we don't overdo it, but for once I just wanted to prove that I could do this. I wanted… I…"

"You wanted to be able to hold your own in a fight?" Leon asked quietly and Arthur nodded, looking miserable.

"I didn't want what happened last time to happen again," he murmured, and Leon didn't need to ask. Arthur had never quite got over the idea that all of the knights would put themselves in harm's way to make sure he was safe. Despite knowing he was still supposed to be in scolding mode, Leon couldn't stop the fond smile spreading over his face. Only Arthur would end up being blackmailed because he wanted to make himself a better knight.

"Galahad said that if they found out, they would take my key for the armoury and I would barely be allowed to train at all."

"And you believed him?"

"How could I not? I once saw Bors practically scream at a man for overdoing it, saying that if they were doing something wrong and there was no one there to correct them, they could do serious damage. He gave me such a lecture on it afterwards, I wasn't going to risk him finding out. Maybe it would have been better, surely that has to be better than having my knighthood taken away because I abandoned my post."

There was such a miserable look on Arthur's face that Leon hopped down from the fence and put his hand on the young man's shoulder.

"You wouldn't have your knighthood taken away and your father won't find out. I'll make sure of it."

"Why? I let you down again."

"And you also admitted it. Yes, you acted foolishly and you can still be as much of a brat as you were a few years ago. But your heart is in the right place, Arthur. While you are trying to do your best, you are never going to let me down, understand?"

Arthur nodded and Leon gave his shoulder a squeeze before sighing. He knew that Arthur would get there. Arthur had been forced to grow up before he was ready, partly through the pressure he had put on himself. But Leon knew that he had done a similar thing. Despite never being one to be able to take compliments without turning fantastically red (much to Arthur's amusement) Leon knew that he had turned out alright in the end. He knew that Arthur would get there, but until he started living for himself rather than just for his father, he was going to get things wrong.

"Actually, Arthur, that wasn't what I came out here to talk to you about."

"What was then?" Arthur followed Leon's lead and fell in step with the man as they began heading back towards the castle. Leon knew that Arthur was not going to like this news, especially not as he didn't like it himself. But he had no choice.

"I'm leaving."

"_What?_" Arthur stopped walking, staring at Leon as if he expected the man to suddenly announce that he was joking. Leon only wished that was the case. He sighed, giving Arthur a nudge to make him walk again.

"You know there have been more raids on the outlying villages and Cenred seems to be behind it? We have a fort on the eastern border but it has suffered losses lately. It needs a command. And the king…"

"Is sending you?" Arthur finished, his voice nothing more than a whisper. Looking at him, Leon was forcibly reminded of a much younger Arthur who had demanded his friend stayed in Camelot after his father's death simply because he had promised to be Arthur's friend. The prince had the same look on his face now and Leon knew he was about to protest.

"They need someone with experience, Arthur. Most of the knights have only just been knighted, or are too old to make the journey and the living conditions out there."

"But why does it mean it has to be you?"

"I'm the only one that can do it. It's the King's orders, Arthur. I leave in two days."

"But how long will you be gone?"

Leon sighed. "A year at the least, maybe two."

Arthur didn't say anything this time, but Leon was slightly alarmed to see how pale the prince had gone. He quickly took Arthur's arm and managed to get them back to the prince's chambers, sitting Arthur down on the bed before he said anything else.

"It won't be forever. I'll be coming back."

"Unless you get yourself killed out there," Arthur muttered almost sourly and Leon laughed gently.

"Have a little faith in me, Arthur. If I've put up with you for all of these years, a few bandits won't be stopping me from coming home again."

"But…" Arthur's voice trailed off and he stared at nothing, seeming to not know what to say.

"You're a knight now, Arthur. You understand that I have to follow orders? This isn't my choice and it doesn't matter how I feel about it, I have to go."

"I need you though," Arthur whispered and Leon sighed, immediately feeling himself soften. He sat down on the bed next to Arthur.

"No, you don't. Not the way you did. You're a man now. You don't need me."

"I do! Don't you understand? With you gone, who have I got? Who is to stop me from…from…"

"Being a brat?" Leon smirked, raising his eyebrows. Arthur jumped off the bed and whirled around to face him angrily.

"Exactly! Don't you see, I knew what I was doing was wrong and I still did it! The only reason why I even went to speak to Bors was because I knew that would have been what you wanted from me. What if I don't feel sorry for what I'm doing because you're not here?"

"Arthur, listen to me," Leon inserted a little authority into his voice, playing on the fact that he knew Arthur would listen to him. He hadn't seen the prince look this close to tears for a long time and realised just how distressed Arthur was finding the news. Leon knew he wouldn't be happy, but he hadn't expected this. He waited until Arthur had looked at him properly before continuing.

"You should just carry on as if you knew I would find out about it. The chances are I will, news comes and goes to the fort the whole time. If I get whispers that you are acting up again, I'm not going to be happy. I don't have to be physically here just to disapprove. You know what you should and shouldn't be doing. You know when you've done something I wouldn't have approved of. No one told me about today, I just overheard you. Yet you went to Bors, knowing that was what I wanted. But you also went because it was the right thing to do."

"But…" Leon knew his words had hit home. Arthur's eyes had darted around the room as he clearly tried to find reasons for Leon not to go. Arthur knew and understood why he had to go, just as he knew when he acted up without someone having to tell him that he was being a brat. He didn't need Leon, but the knight knew that he just had to realise that on his own.

"You are going to be just fine, you hear me? Listen to your head, not your heart. Think about whether someone wants the best for you, or the best for themselves. And don't train after hours and give them an excuse to blackmail you."

Arthur let out a small smile at that and Leon took that as his cue to go. The longer they spent discussing this, he knew the more convincing Arthur's arguments would sound. He didn't want to be leaving the prince, not now after everything they had come through together. They were supposed to be finally getting the chance to work side by side and yet something had come and torn him away.

"Where are you going? You said you don't leave for two days." Arthur looked so startled by Leon's movement the knight was laughing before he could stop himself. Arthur simply stared before he too seemed to realise how he had sounded and grinned, running a hand through his hair as he did so.

"I don't know about you, but I'm starving. And then I believe I have an old master of ours to try and convince not to go to the king. Oh, and you're coming with me for that."

"I am?"

"I'm not going to be here to fight your battles for you, Arthur. It's time you learnt how to get in Bors' good books on your own and I know a trick or two."

"But you were never in his bad books," Arthur grumbled, but was already following Leon out the door. The knight tipped him a wink.

"Then I would say my tactics worked, wouldn't you?" As Arthur grinned again, finally seeming to relax, Leon couldn't stop himself from reaching out and ruffling the boy's hair. He knew that Arthur would mess things up more than once when he was gone, probably even more so in the first few days of Leon's departure. But he also knew that Arthur had a good heart and his instincts were true when he allowed himself to listen to them.

He just didn't realise it would only be a week after his departure that someone else would come stumbling into Arthur's life. Someone who would be the friend that Arthur had spent his life looking for even if the prince didn't realise it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, here we are, another story finished. Thank you so much to all of those who have taken the time to read this, even more so to those who let me know what they thought. I'm so glad that you have enjoyed it. **

**Hope you like this last chapter, and it would be great to know your thoughts on it.**

**Until next time...take care, all!**

Leon sighed as he sank down on the bed, more grateful to be back than he would ever be able to admit. It had been almost two years since he had left Camelot and he knew that a lot would have changed in that time. It had been true what he had said to Arthur about the fort receiving news often and he had been hearing what the prince had been up against. Stories about magical beasts roaming the land had Leon's heart in his mouth, but upon hearing how it had been Arthur to destroy many of them brought a smile of pride to his face. He regretted that he couldn't be there for the boy's coming of age ceremony, but could almost picture the look on Arthur's face throughout it all.

When he had heard about the Questing Beast, Leon had found himself almost deserting his post to get back to Camelot. It was only because he was still finding provisions for the journey when further news came to say the prince had pulled through that stopped Leon abandoning what he should have been doing and racing for the prince's side. He knew that Arthur had always been headstrong, but he didn't think the prince would have deliberately put himself in harm's way like that. He had obviously been ordered out after the beast and Leon only hoped that this brush with death made Uther realise quite how precious his heir was. Not just as a prince, but as a man.

But finally, after the seasons were beginning to change, new orders came in. The bandits that had been causing all the problems were finally being driven back over the border and their numbers were reducing and staying that way this time. Some fresh guards had been ordered to stay with the fort and make sure their position was maintained, but the knights themselves were being called home. Leon was packed within almost moments, just waiting for the signal that they could leave before thundering back towards Camelot.

Arthur wasn't even there when he had got there, the prince being out on a hunt. In a way, Leon found that he was glad. It gave him the chance for a long bath and a late lunch, meaning the road was removed from his clothing and body and he was feeling far more relaxed by the time he had finished eating. He asked a servant to inform the prince of his arrival when Arthur returned home, but then found he was just glad for the chance to sit and do nothing. He hadn't done that in nearly two years now. Any free time was spent snatching some desperately needed sleep or keeping watch. There was no time for relaxing and Leon just crashed down across the bed and let all the tension drain from his body.

He was home.

He didn't realise that he had drifted off until loud voices could be heard coming down the corridor. Leon's eyes slowly peeled and he dropped his arm from where it had been resting over his eyes. A grin began to spread across his face and he lay back, just listening. There was no denying that was Arthur's voice and Leon found himself chuckling when he heard the prince sounding just as irritated as Arthur had always been. But what happened next, Leon was not expecting.

"…and you didn't think to tell me this before then?" Arthur was exclaiming angrily, and Leon had a feeling that he was scolding whichever servant had been the one to deliver the message. Leon had just made to pull himself off the bed and tell the prince to calm down when he froze. Another voice, one he didn't know, was answering for him.

"Well, I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

"Precisely how long ago did you get the message, _Mer_lin?"

The answer was lost, nothing more than a mumble, but Leon knew that it to be at least a candlemark since word had been sent to the prince. He heard Arthur sigh, but before the prince could say anything more, this Merlin got there first.

"Besides, you're like a grouchy bear when you haven't had lunch and I wasn't about to let you inflict that on anyone else."

"It's not your job to make my decisions."

"No… but they also told me that it was a friend."

"What does that mean?" There was the utmost confusion in Arthur's voice now and Leon found himself standing up, a slow smile working its way across his face. That was the same tone when he had told Arthur something and the prince simply hadn't understood the reasoning behind it. He moved towards the door, knowing that Arthur had almost arrived. It also meant that Merlin's mumbled response was audible even to Leon.

"When it is your friends that tends to mean I get something thrown at me."

"What are you talking about, I throw things at you all the time."

"You're you and they aren't."

"How observant you are," Arthur drawled and Leon could almost see the way his eyes would have rolled at the same time. But he also could hear the fondness in Arthur's tone and knew whatever insults Arthur threw at this boy, it was done in the same way that Leon had used to call him a brat.

But putting all of that aside, Leon found that he just wanted to see Arthur. He pulled open the door and glanced down the corridor, surprised by how loudly the two must have been talking considering how far back they still were. Arthur would argue that obviously with his servant where anyone could hear him? That was not something Leon had seen coming, but Arthur chose that moment to look up. Whatever his servant had been saying was cut off by one quick remark from Arthur and then the prince was moving forward. He looked as if he was trying not to break into a run, his face forcibly controlling the emotions running through him. But Leon had known Arthur when he did show his emotions, and then had watched the prince learn to shut them off. He knew precisely what was going through Arthur's head.

"Sire," he dipped his own head and Arthur almost pulled up short by how formal Leon was sounding. The knight watched to see what Arthur would do, and then rolled his eyes.

"Come here," he reached out and grabbed Arthur's arm, pulling him the last few steps until he could wrap his brat in a quick hug. Arthur managed to hold himself for a moment before he was hugging him back. It only lasted a couple of seconds, but it was enough for Leon to know that things hadn't changed between them. He pulled back to find Arthur blushing furiously and it was with a grin that he ushered the man inside. For some reason, he found that he didn't mind at all when the servant followed them in.

"Leon," he offered, holding out a hand. He would never forget his father's teachings on how to treat those below him. The boy looked surprised, but then a warm smile lit up his face.

"Merlin."

"Or idiot, he answers to both," Arthur quipped from where he had sat himself down.

"At least I don't answer to clotpole," Merlin retorted and Arthur narrowed his eyes in a surly gesture. Leon glanced between them.

"A what?" He asked, wondering if he actually wanted to know.

"Don't ask."

"Arthur." Both men answered simultaneously before shooting each other glares that had Leon laughing. He had seen the heat of Arthur's glare, and he knew that it was far from the expression on his face right now. There was nothing but fondness and amusement in both men's faces and Leon knew that although Merlin might be Arthur's servant, he was also his friend.

He also knew that neither of them would admit that.

But he didn't need to ask. For the first time in forever, he knew that Arthur had a true friend his own age. In the same way that Leon had always done – perhaps even more – this Merlin was not going to bow to Arthur because of who he was. Arthur was going to have to earn that respect first. Judging by the relaxed posture of both of them, despite Merlin staying standing, Leon knew that Merlin must have been in Arthur's service for some time now. They had a relaxed atmosphere despite the way they had been snapping at each other.

Leon perched on the edge of the bed, but found that he was ignoring Merlin as he looked at Arthur, a proud smile tugging at his lips. It was only then that he noticed the faint bruising around Arthur's eye and that he was holding his arm a little stiffly.

"What happened this time?" He demanded and Arthur jumped guiltily. It didn't escape Leon's notice that he glanced at Merlin, who shrugged. It was almost as if he was checking what he was supposed to have done before answering. When Leon pointed out his healing injuries, Arthur shrugged.

"Sorcerer turned a load of gargoyles into living things. Stopped them in the end."

"Would have stopped them beforehand if you actually listened to me…"

"Maybe I would have if you weren't being such a lazy…"

"Enough," Leon sighed, having a feeling they would be at it all night if he let them. Merlin flushed and looked down, clearly remembering that he was just a servant in the presence of a knight. Arthur, however, gave Merlin a light kick.

"He doesn't mean it," he said softly, and Leon found himself smiling. It seemed that Arthur could still read him as well as he could read the prince. Merlin looked between them before edging towards the door.

"Why don't I go and find some supper? I'm sure Sir Leon is still weary for his travels." He didn't wait for an answer, but continued backing out.

"Make sure it's hot!" Arthur yelled after him, and Leon pretended that he didn't hear Merlin's retort floating up the corridor. If the king heard, Leon knew the servant would be lucky with just a dismissal. But as soon as he was gone, Leon moved forward so that he was right on the edge of the bed, studying Arthur intently.

"I heard about the Questing Beast." He said gently and Arthur flushed a little.

"I'm fine," his voice was equally as quiet. "Gaius knows a miracle or two."

"I've also been getting reports about the other things that have been happening while I've been gone." There was a slightly firm note in Leon's tone as he stared at Arthur and the prince squirmed. It seemed that Arthur was aware that Leon knew he had been in the middle of everything that had been happening and wasn't best pleased about the danger the prince had been in when he hadn't been there to help.

"I should have come home," Leon eventually muttered, realising just how much he had missed the Citadel while he had been away. This time, it was him who Arthur kicked lightly.

"You had to do your duty." Leon grinned, recognising that when he left, Arthur only knew the words. Now he fully understood them, and by the looks of the healing wounds, enacted them himself. It seemed that he was truly becoming a strong prince and knight. In a way, Leon found himself wondering whether him not being there was good. Arthur hadn't had anyone to hide behind any longer and would have been forced to step up in order to get anywhere once Bors had retired.

Thinking of the old man reminded Leon of one of the last conversations he had had with Arthur. Although he could tell that there was a difference in the prince compared to the boy he had left behind, Leon had to know whether Arthur had acted out in the way that he feared. Voicing his question out loud, he got his answer just by the way that Arthur blushed.

"I had Merlin arrested the first time we met because he tried to stop me from throwing knives at a target… that someone might have still been holding." Leon knew that Arthur only added the last part on because he knew that the knight would be able to detect whether he had been told the full story or not.

"How did he end up as your manservant then? He doesn't seem the type."

"He isn't, he's a pain most of the time. And his definition of cleaning involves throwing things behind the dresser and hoping that I don't notice. But he saved my life, just after I had him arrested. That's not the first time either. He's going to get himself killed one of these days and he just doesn't seem to care…"

Arthur trailed off and Leon could see the worry in his expression. Whoever this Merlin was, it was obvious that he was a true friend to the prince. One who didn't need to swear an oath to be by his side through thick and thin. Leon got the feeling Merlin was the sort that wouldn't necessarily have to protect Arthur from physical dangers (he was a servant and the prince was surrounded by knights!), but that he was potentially the one person who would be able to protect Arthur from himself and the self-doubts that had constantly plagued him while growing up.

"He's a good friend, isn't he?" Leon asked softly. Arthur jumped, looking as if he had never put Merlin and friendship in the same sentence before.

"Who, him?" There was scathing in his voice, yet Leon could see the way that his eyes softened. Once again, he was receiving his answer without it having to be vocalised and he couldn't be happier. Arthur finally had someone whose only duty was putting the prince first. This time, it was Leon's turn to nudge Arthur with his knee and the prince grinned even as he flushed slightly. It was obvious that Arthur knew Leon understood.

"So… you've arrived just in time for the joust then," Arthur turned the conversation back to more neutral ground just as Merlin walked backwards into the room, using his body to push open the door as he had his hands full. Leon had to fight to keep the groan from coming out loud when he caught sight of the steaming bowls. It was rare to find hot food out on the fort. Or if you managed to find it, it was hard getting the chance to eat it without being called away to sort out one emergency or another. Merlin balanced it on the table and Leon thanked him with a smile as both he and Arthur dove towards the food.

But upon sitting back, Leon realised they hadn't been the only ones. Merlin had also helped himself, although his movements were more timid and he had moved slightly closer to Arthur. Leon could only assume that Merlin had heard something about the knight whose rooms he was now sitting in if he felt confident enough to do so. But it was also clear that he was fully aware this was crossing some sort of line and was using his master as protection. For some reason, it just made Leon laugh.

Merlin knew precisely where his boundaries were and knew how to stay within them when he needed to. The fact that he obviously didn't with Arthur was a conscious choice on his behalf. He didn't insult the prince because he didn't know better, but because he wanted to. He insulted him because Arthur must have done something to warrant being insulted, just the way any friend would.

As he sat back and let the conversation flow around him, Leon realised the words that he had told Arthur about the prince not needing him were finally coming true. But that didn't mean he wouldn't be by Arthur's side just the way he had always been.

It just meant that he knew he wasn't the only one looking out for the brat. Arthur had finally found someone who would put up with him because of who he was as a man rather than the privileges that his title offered.

And maybe that was precisely what Arthur needed to become the king that Leon could already see burning within him.


End file.
